Humanity's Aegis
by CrimsonBlade11
Summary: It's said that Humans are the Biblical God's favored creations. If that's so, then why are they the ones to suffer when the supernatural do battle? Why are they the ones without the strength to defend themselves? No more. We are the ones who shall defend those who cannot do so themselves. Humanity has been in the crossfire long enough. We are Humanity's shield. We are the Aegis.
1. Hunter and Disciple

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing; however that doesn't mean I'm not petitioning for ownership. I just need signatures… lots of signatures. Sign, please? Please?

**A/N:** _It's at the bottom._

**Humanity's Aegis**

Chapter One

Hunter and Disciple

**The Disciple**

I stepped into a copse of trees next to an abandoned Church, the sun stayed high in the air, giving me the best possible visibility as I leaned against a nearby tree. Frowning, I lifted the folder in my hands and opened it to examine the contents. It was given to me by my Shishou, the man who was teaching me everything there was to know about…well everything to do with combat and life. The man just showed me what I needed to learn and left me to my own devices; granted, that normally wouldn't make him a very good instructor, but he always supplied me with whatever I needed, all I needed was to take the initiative to reach forward and take hold of it.

Reading over its contents, I surmised that my current mission was to keep an eye on a group of Fallen Angels believed to be going against the orders of the Governor of Grigori, hired by the very same man. I was allowed to interfere at any time and do whatever I wished. Killing them was only a last resort, but if it was necessary, I wasn't to hesitate. Continuing to look over the contents, I caught sight of my targets' true mission: to keep watch over a certain 'Issei Hyoudou' due to the potential of his Sacred Gear.

"'Issei Hyoudou'? What the hell does my little brother have to do with this?"

Oh, I guess introductions are in order, huh? Well, my name is Hajime Hyoudou and I'm twenty years old. I haven't been to school since the day I was supposed to go to 'boarding school', or at least that's what was told to my parents and little brother. In truth, I've been homeschooled by several different people, teaching me the necessary information in order to move forward in life. Thanks to my years of training, I've got a wiry, yet muscular build, mainly built for speed and power, rather than taking hits, though I do have the endurance if necessary to take a few. My light brown hair is cut rather short, more out of necessity than preference, due to my training. My light brown eyes flickered up from the folder to the abandoned Church, then back to the contents of the folder.

Closing the folder, I slid in into my bag and dropped it into a rather dense bush, hiding it from sight. Adjusting my cloak so that my arms were hidden under it, I pulled up my hood and looked to the side. "Jeanne, I want you to stay here unless I call you."

Dropping from the branches above me, a beautiful girl with shoulder length blonde hair pouted at me, her baby blue eyes watering in an attempt to influence me otherwise. She also wore a cloak like me, her narrow shoulders and lithe frame concealing the fact that she was a danger in her own right. "Aw! C'mon, Haji-kun! It's boring just sitting while you get to have all of the fun."

Jeanne is like me, in a sense. She was found by my Shishou over the course of his travels and saw something in her that he felt needed to be tempered, otherwise she'd do wrong. She's my sister disciple of sorts, trained and taught alongside me as we grew up. As such, we were deemed partners and sent as a pair whenever our Shishou gave us tasks to be completed for the sake of training and gaining experience.

I released a small laugh and shook my head in the negative. "Nope. You had the last mission, Jeanne. This one's mine to do." I gave her a playful grin. "After all, who was the one who needed back up in the last mission?"

She crossed her arms and pouted, looking away from me. "It's not my fault we ended up running into a group of Sacred Gear users working with the Stray Devil." Jeanne placed a hand on the hilt of the rapier that rest at her hip, as if recalling what had happened that day.

A small snicker escaped me, "Yeah, I still remember the squeal of surprise you had when they all jumped out of the woodwork." She harrumphed and turned her back to me, causing me to laugh again. Then I turned my expression to the abandoned Church. I was given free rein to do what I wished in this mission. That fact alone caused me to hesitate; Jeanne and I were always given specific instructions on what each mission entailed and what we each had to do. For us to be given a mission where we were free to do what we wanted was both refreshing and daunting at the same time; refreshing because Shishou was beginning to trust us with more, and daunting because there was so much that could go wrong. Depending on what I did, or didn't do, there was a chance that my little brother may be killed.

Shaking my head, I cleared my mind of all doubts and fears, clearing my thoughts with a mental trick that I was shown how to do. "I'm moving in." Walking forward purposefully, I inclined my head to Jeanne when I heard her wish me good luck. The walk up to the Church wasn't much to be honest, while there was a feeling of foreboding in the air, it was rather negligible compared to the other missions I've finished.

Approaching the door, I lifted a hand and pushed it open. Looking inside, I was treated to the sight of decrepit pews, a broken cross and half destroyed confessional at the front of the Church. I walked inside and looked around with unrestrained curiosity, taking in everything with faked wonder. Turning, I looked to the dusty stained glass windows and wondered just what it would take to repair this place, or if it would even be worth it, considering just what's bound to happen inside of it.

"Oh? We have a visitor?" I turned around to see the newcomer and saw a man dressed clerical clothing. A black ankle length jacket with a white turtle neck zip-up dress shirt under it. Hanging from a chain around his neck was a golden cross. He had pure white hair that fell to his chin and red eyes.

I nodded to him, "Yes. I happened to see this place on my way into town and wanted to check it out." I bowed my head in faux apology. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding Father." Carefully manipulating the words that I spoke, I spun myself a tale of half-truths. I said no lies and spoke with complete confidence, sprinkling a bit of genuine emotion.

The man studied me closely, his eyes focusing on my hooded features. Then he gave me a kind smile, though I could plainly tell it was deceitful. "It's alright, my son." The geniality in his tone had an insincere, forced quality to it. "What do you need? I have some things in the basement that you could use on your way."

I regarded him carefully, studying his expression carefully as I looked into his eyes. The eyes are lauded as the windows to the soul, a way to see how a person really thinks, or if they're truly being truthful or not. Frowning at what I saw, I cocked my head to the side and replied, "What do I need? Well, Father, I wouldn't mind asking some questions." I made no move to follow him as he motioned towards the basement.

His eyes narrowed slightly at the subtle shift in my stance; he kept his smile in place and beckoned for me to follow. "Well, I'll be sure to answer all the questions you have when we head downstairs."

"Answer me just one question first." Seeing his forced smile fall into a frown, he nodded his head to me. "What's an Exorcist doing following Fallen Angels?" I asked innocently and couldn't hide the smirk that appeared on my face when the now-identified Exorcist froze. "Or should I assume that you're a Stray Exorcist…_Father_?"

The man narrowed his eyes and his frown slowly shifted into a crazed grin. "This is fucking great; and here I thought you actually wandered in here by accident." He reached into his jacket and pulled a sword hilt and pistol. "Try not to die, stranger. I'd hate for you to die before I had my fill." His sword came to life not unlike a weapon from a certain science fiction movie trilogy and he lunged towards me.

I allowed a ghost of a smirk to appear on my face before I grabbed the hilt of a special dagger underneath my cloak. The moment I did, I vanished from his sight, causing him to stumble a bit at my disappearance. I silently stepped and jumped behind him, deactivating my invisibility as I aimed a stab at his back. Noticing me in his periphery, the Stray Exorcist spun and slapped my dagger away with his sword. He lifted his gun and took aim, but I kicked upwards, knocking the gun away from me as he pulled the trigger.

Slipping into his guard, I slashed with the dagger and managed to cut his robes before he jumped back. The Stray Exorcist let out a crazed laugh, "You're pretty damn good, to have managed to cut me. That invisibility trick? It's a Sacred Gear, isn't it?"

I smirked, causing him to frown at my subtle condescension. "Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a Sacred Gear. That 'trick', as you call it, is something I picked up along my travels." Flexing my grip on the dagger, I vanished from sight again and used his frustrated hesitation to charge right at him. He flinched and slashed in front of him, his instincts trying to save him, but I leaned back to dodge it. Once again slipping into his guard, I drove an elbow into his throat and forced him to stumble back and gasp for breath.

Reappearing, I pulled out another dagger and proceeded to appear to try and cut him to ribbons. An angry gurgle from the Stray as he shot his gun and swung at me, to which I ducked to the side. Back and forth, we traded blows with our weapons. He'd swing his sword, while I'd parrying it with the shorter blade of my daggers, staying close enough to the point that my blades continued to slash more and more of his robes.

The first blood of the battle came from him; the blade of my more ornate dagger sliced a thin line out of his chest, blood already beginning to flow from the open wound. I hummed in slight concern at the wound, flicking my dagger to the side to remove the blood. "You may want to get that checked. Having an open wound in an unclean place like this Church can lead to infections." I spoke as if I were with a child, a hint of playful condescension to rile up my opponent.

The Stray Exorcist growled and glared hatefully at me. "You fucking, disappearing-act cheat! At least fucking stay where I can goddamn see you!" It seems my attempts to troll my opponent into a blind rage is coming true. "Just you wait, you fucker! When I fucking catch you, you'll be less than a godforsaken shit stain on the fucking ground! Fuck!"

I blinked at his verbal diatribe, somewhat shocked that a person in Clerical robes would speak so vulgarly. "Wow… Someone's got a dirty mouth. I should've brought some soap. I'd be doing God himself a favor by cleaning out your mouth."

"Fuck you!"

"Freed, what the hell are you sputtering on about?" A mature older woman dressed in a purple one piece that showed off her generous assets with long navy blue hair and bangs that covered her right eye stepped out of the basement and saw the two of us. Her one visible eye looked between the two of us and widened suddenly, but before she could say anything, she had to duck to the side to avoid the flying dagger that was aimed to tear through her throat.

She was immediately forced back and surprised when I sheathed my fist into her gut, as I quickly followed after my thrown dagger. The woman staggered back, at a loss of breath from my blow and was pushed back even more so when I cracked her in the chin with a sudden back kick. She recovered from that almost immediately and opened her hand, all of a sudden a dark yellow spear appeared in her hand and she tried to stab me with it.

I vanished from sight again, just in time to hear a sudden gun shot, followed by a cry of pain from the woman. Pulling my previously thrown dagger out of the wall, I arched an eyebrow at Freed, motioning to the woman. "Have you ever heard of friendly fire? I figured a Stray Exorcist would worship the ground a Fallen Angel walked on; yet you shot in her direction without hesitation."

The woman growled in pain and anger, holding a hand on her bleeding, punctured thigh. "Freed, you blithering idiot! You shot me!"

"It's not my fucking fault the disappearing asshat got the fuck out the way!" Freed replied heatedly, crazily waving his smoking gun around like a loon. "Next time, fucking watch where you're standing!"

"Kalawarner! Freed! Why the hell are you two making so much noise!?" A man's voice resounded from the basement. Within moments, three more individuals stepped out of the basement.

The first was what appeared to be a middle aged man dressed in a pale violet trench coat and a fedora.

The second appeared to be a young girl dressed in goth loli fashion with bright blonde hair done in a short side ponytail with a black bow.

The third appeared to be an older teen girl dressed in what appeared to be an S&M costume from Hell and had long black hair.

They all had a pair of black feathered wings.

"Well, well, well, the whole gang's here." I said as I pulled my arm back under my cloak, sliding a foot and back and bending my knees. "What do you say we skip the pleasantries and get this party started?" Nodding to the Fallen Angels, I smirked, "Ladies first."

As if on cue, all hell broke loose.

Fifteen minutes later, I strode purposefully out of the 'abandoned' Church and walked over to where Jeanne was waiting for me. My cloak was torn and scorched at the fringes and my hood was down, revealing a small cut trailing along my cheek. Sitting on my head in place of the hood was a brand new, to me anyway, black fedora, which I found fit me rather well. I'd have to get it cleaned to buff out the flecks of drying blood, but it should work out well enough.

Jeanne stepped out from the trees, my bag in hand, with a playful smile on her face. "Have fun in there, Haji-kun?"

I grinned at her words. "Oh, yeah. That was a preferred welcoming party for my return to Kuoh. They were even nice enough to give me gifts!" I pointed to my new fedora and lifted a hand out from under my cloak, holding out the gun that fired compressed Light. "They were hilarious, too. We all felt comfortable enough with one another to throw in good-natured death threats! There was so much comradery in the air, I nearly cried from joy." I felt my eyes widen when I remembered something important. "Oh, I got this for you, Jeanne." Lifting my hand out of my cloak, I handed her the frilly black and white tie that the chibi Fallen Angel, Mittelt I think her name was, had.

Her eyes widened when she saw and took it without hesitation. After a few moments of fiddling with it in her hair, she finished and said, "How do I look?" She had tied the tie to give herself a side ponytail, the pleasant contrast between the dark color of the tie and the light color of her hair made for a sight that was easy on the eyes.

"Very nice." I gave her a wide smile, to which she blushed ever so lightly.

Jeanne then giggled at my words and demeanor. "I guess you're happy to out from under Yasaka-sama's thumb."

I grimaced and groaned, shuddering as I put the pistol away. "You could say that. I'm thankful for what she's done, but that woman can be terrifying!" I grumbled and crossed my arms, "I got all the blame whenever she happened to catch Kunou-hime, Kuroka-chan and I when we tried to set up our pranks."

"It doesn't help the fact that you always tried to skip on lessons over the years, or the fact that you've influenced Kunou-hime to do so the same." Jeanne said in a deadpan tone, which caused my shoulders to fall. She giggled at my deflated demeanor, then asked, "How was it using Carnwennan in a legitimate fight?"

I reasserted my stance and crossed my arms, "The transition from invisibility to visibility was seamless, throwing them off balance nearly every time." Then I scowled, "However, they were amateurs. Compared to Shishou, Yasaka-sama, Kuroka-chan and the karasu-tengu, the Stray Exorcist and the four Fallen Angels were nothing special." I then pulled out the aforementioned dagger and held it out, studying the royal blue hilt and the white, ten-inch blade. "I barely had to use the Holy Dagger's ability more than a few times." Sheathing it without a second thought, I took the proffered bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Let's go. We need to stop by my parent's home before going to the house Shishou got for us here."

Jeanne nodded and fell into step next me with beaming smile on her face. "Yeah, I can finally meet your parents and little brother. I wonder what they're like…" She placed a contemplating finger chin as she cocked her head to the side in thought.

"It's been several years since I've been back, they've probably changed quite a bit while I was gone. Though…from the letters I've exchanged with Kaa-san, Issei's become quite the raging pervert…" I sighed heavily and shook my head. I paused and asked, "What was the job Shishou took to keep an eye on things here again?"

"Uhh, I think it was to be a Sensei at the local school?"

"Ah. I remember now. Thanks, Jeanne."

"No problem!"

As we walked towards the town proper, a thought struck me. "I wonder how Shishou is doing right now…"

* * *

><p><strong>The Hunter<strong>

"Okay, class, that's all I have for you today." I said as I slid papers into a folder, looking to the classroom full of second year students. "Remember, that composition paper is due after the weekend, no exceptions. Three full pages on your current dream." Putting the folder into a briefcase, I closed it with a click.

The Class leader, a young woman with light brown hair and brown eyes, stood and called out, "Rise." The rest of the class did as she said. "Bow." Then they all bowed as I motioned to the clock.

"One more minute…" I said with a hint of restrained excitement, getting some laughter from some of the students. Then I looked to one of the students sitting in the back, "Hyoudou-san, I need to talk to you before you leave for home. No ducking out this time!"

Issei Hyoudou, a slender young man of average height with short brown hair and light brown eyes, gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. "Sure thing, Sensei."

I nodded to him and waved at the rest of class. "Everyone, have a great weekend!" Everyone in the class replied with a resounding 'You too, Sensei' and I left the room with a content grin. As I walked down the halls, I was greeted by the various students of the academy, either past students, newer students or just the ones I knew from outside of class. Striding purposefully, I reached the Teacher's office and walked inside, seeing the sight of my fellow teachers. Giving the appropriate greetings and responses, I went to assigned space and sat down.

Sifting through the minor mess of papers on my desk, I managed to give it some sort of order in the midst of my controlled chaos. Examining the contents of my desk once more, I leaned back and relaxed into my seat. My eyes flicked to one of the two pictures that sat at the head of the desk. It was of a young girl sitting on swing, beaming widely at the camera. Her golden blonde hair was tied into a ponytail and her eyes were a matching color, while twinkling with a hint of mischief. She was wearing a light blue sundress and a pair of white shoes. For as long as I could remember, Kunou has always been the playful type, even if she tries to act like a princess; especially since I happen to spoil her every chance I get. Yasaka gets so frustrated every time.

Speaking of Yasaka…

Behind Kunou, in the middle of pushing the swing, stood essentially an older, more mature version of Kunou, wearing a dark blue kimono with a black obi. Her hair, instead of tied up, was flowing down her back and over her shoulders. A faint smile on her face as her golden blonde eyes narrowed pleasantly. In all the years I've lived, I have never met a woman that caught my attention, or held my immense respect, like her.

I let out a small laugh, followed by a wistful sigh. It's times like this where I curse my drive to do what's right. I should be with them, with my family, but… Kuoh Academy is a lynchpin for the current time's important events. A gut feeling, and an old friend's rather extensive information network, continually told me that something was going to happen there, thus I had to act on it, or else there'll be a chance where innocent lives may be lost…

_We're soldiers at heart, no matter where we go, or the time we live in. It's our duty to ensure the safety of as many people as we can…_

Sometimes I hated my old friend and his annoying logic…

Closing my eyes, I palmed my face and leaned back, mentally reviewing my latest cover.

Who am I claiming to be, currently? Connor Wolfe. It's been two years since I graduated from a highly recognized University with a Master's Degree in Education, with a focus in English and Literature.

Where am I claiming to be from? Within the overall area of Eastern Europe.

I'm fluent in several languages, not for lack of trying, and have been complimented several times for my fluency with the Japanese language. I've studied and memorized the customs of countless countries, making sure that wherever I go, even if I look different, I'll always be able to blend in seamlessly. An old habit from an old profession, one I still occasionally practice, in spite of its danger.

My eyes flicked to the latest family photo, one that held all three of us, my wife, daughter and I. The three of us were standing in the center of a room. Yasaka, clad in her Shrine Maiden uniform, was holding onto my arm and smiling demurely while Kunou, dressed similarly to her mother, held onto my hand like it was a lifeline, grinning widely and lighting up the whole room. In between, I was smiling softly with my medium length black hair and sharp grey eyes, wearing a casual indoors yukata.

I smiled faintly and turned my attention away from the photo, going back to the papers. Sifting through them, I heard a vibration coming from my bag. Reaching down, I opened it and reached inside, grabbing my phone. Seeing the caller ID, I couldn't fight the fond smile that appeared on my face. Standing, I pushed my chair in and walked over to the corner of the room, out of the way, and opened the window. Lifting the phone to my ear, I answered softly, "You know, Kunou, you're cutting it rather close. I could've been in class."

"Ah! I-I'm sorry, Otou-sama… I just miss you is all." My daughter's gentle voice carried seamlessly, widening my smile even more.

"It's fine, it's fine. That's perfect because I miss you too." I returned a wave that an outside student sent to me.

She made a happy sound and I could hear the grin in her voice when she replied. "Heh heh~. Otou-sama misses me."

I offered a scoff, "Of course I would. Why wouldn't I miss my adorable little Princess?" She giggled at my playful tone, clearly pleased with the title had given her. "So, what have you been up to? You haven't been driving your Mother crazy, have you?"

There was a silence when Kunou didn't respond immediately. "Ano… Nope." She failed to conceal the giggle that escaped her.

I let out a sigh at my daughter's response, knowing full well that she got it from me. "Kunou…" I said to her, my voice stern, yet still kind.

"Y-Yes, Otou-sama…" She sounded immediately remorseful, the way only a child could.

"Good job." I replied with a positive tone. I couldn't stay mad at my little girl, a fact that drove Yasaka crazy to no end. "You're doing Papa proud."

"Heh heh~." Kunou giggled happily at my approval. "I'm even following the notes you left Otou-sama. Okaa-sama still has no idea that your ideas are helping me." While my daughter is more clever than most her age, I highly doubt that she's managed to keep my notes hidden from Yasaka for long. Though, I do applaud her ability to follow my notes as well as she has, considering I wrote it in short hand.

"As expected of my little Princess." I could see her sitting upright with childlike pride at my words. "How has Kuroka been? Still frustrating your mother?"

Kunou giggled playfully, "It's so funny watching the two of them. Kuroka-nee-sama always gets on Okaa-sama's nerves. I think she's fun though." She added with what I swear was a wide grin.

I laughed at my daughter's excitability, knowing full well that she got it from me. Or at least before time, _lots _of time, mellowed me out. "Of course you would, Kunou. Though, I am curious, does Yasaka know that you've called me?"

There was a telling silence that let me exactly the answer I had expected.

"What is she doing right now?"

"Okaa-sama is in meeting right now. She said I go play, as long as I didn't go too far away."

"And you thought you would take the time to call your oh-so-awesome Papa, huh?" Hearing her enthusiastic affirmative, I let out a small laugh. "Well, what would you say if I told you that I was going to come home for the weekend?" I whispered conspiratorially into my phone, glancing over my shoulder to see a young woman with a black bob cut and blue hair clip waiting at my desk. I could see the somewhat disapproving gaze in her eyes as she took in the sight of my phone. I lifted a single finger, asking her to give me a minute, to which she nodded.

I flinched and pulled the phone away from my ear when I heard Kunou's ecstatic squeal. "Otou-sama's coming home~!" Her excited words were loud and clear enough to be heard by everyone in the Teacher's office, a few of my co-workers and a student or two. The disapproving look vanished from the student's face as she offered a small smile. I gave everyone an apologetic wave as I put the phone back to my ear, just in time to hear Kunou singing happily.

"Kunou, everyone in my office heard you." I said in a firm tone of voice.

Kunou paused, a small moan escaping her. "I'm sorry, Otou-sama…"

I released a breath and mock-whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear me as I replied. "That's fine. Because everyone is now jealous that I have the most awesome and adorable little girl as a daughter."

"Heh heh~." Once again, she sounded immensely pleased with herself; I could vividly picture all nine of her fluffy tails waving excitedly behind her.

"Now, I need to go now, 'kay? Papa has to meet with his students. Can you promise me you'll be a good girl until I get back?" I said as I began walking back to my desk.

"Un! I'll be bestest good girl, ever! I'll be so good that you'll be proud of me, Otou-sama!" Kunou said excitedly, clearly hopping up and down in anticipation.

Upon reaching my desk, I paused and smiled gently. "I'm _always_ proud of you, Kunou. Never forget that, okay? Now be good for your Mama. I've got to go."

"Un! Love you, Otou-sama!"

"I love you too, Kunou." With that, I pulled the phone from my face and hung up. Smiling fondly down at it, I was silent for a few moments before sliding it into my pocket. Turning my attention to the student, I said, "I'm sorry for making you wait, Shitori-san. My daughter prefers to surprise me with her calls."

Souna Shitori shook her head, "It is fine, Wolfe-sensei. I…can understand having an excitable family member." For the first time, I saw a tired expression on the normally stoic and hardworking third year.

I laughed lightly, "Oh, yes. We're pulled into their rhythm and can't do anything but follow them."

"Indeed." She then cleared her throat, reasserted herself and held out a stack of papers. "I have the information for the upcoming Ball Tournament prepared and would like your input. As you're the current Teacher sponsor for the Student Council, I thought it prudent to show you what we have so far."

I nodded and took the stack, holding it in the crook of my arm while I flipped through it with my free hand. As I read through it, I replied dryly, "While I am impressed with your punctuality, Shitori-san, you do realize that the Ball Tournament isn't for another two weeks? You technically don't have to turn this in until the end of next week."

"I know that, Sensei, but I found that getting things like this done early offer up extra time for studying in my other classes." Souna replied professionally, her hands grasped in front of her.

"Uh-huh." I answered, not convinced in the slightest. "If I didn't have access to your grades, I'd be more inclined believe you." I gave her a look with an arched brow. "You have the highest grades in your class, along with Shinra-san and the rest of the Student Council. Don't get me wrong, I believe you're all doing great, even with your responsibilities, but please be careful." Placing the papers on my desk, I regarded Souna with concern. "I can see much potential in you, Shitori-san. I'd hate to see you threaten it by burning yourself out."

Souna nodded once at that, but replied, "I understand your concerns, Sensei, but you do not need to worry yourself over me. I am pacing myself carefully."

"Okay, I'll trust you, Shitori-kaichou. You need to set an example for your fellow students, after all." I smiled softly at her.

She nodded at that, her cheeks gaining a hint of color as she lifted a hand to adjust her glasses. "Indeed, I do." Souna paused and looked to me, "Sensei, would you like to play a game of chess again later? It has been quite a long time since our last game."

I arched a brow at her. I did indeed play her in a game of chess a few weeks ago, a day when I had to stay late for some work I needed to finish. I was heading out when I had to make my way to the Student Council to pass off some papers that Souna had requested and I noticed her playing a quick game with Tsubaki. She noticed me focusing on the board and asked if I wanted to play.

What happened next was a comical display as everyone in the room looked on in shock as I defeated Souna with a checkmate eight moves into the game. Apparently, she had never been defeated so soundly before. When I was asked how I was so good at it, I simply brushed it off by saying that I've played several times on my off days.

I couldn't exactly tell her that I had several centuries' worth of battlefield experience that made it easy to see through nearly all of her strategies…

Well, I think she'd take it better than most, being a Devil.

"Hm, I'm not sure I'll be able to play today. I have a meeting with another student and I need to head home rather early to gather my things." I couldn't hide the fond smile that appeared on my face as I turned my head to look out the window. "I do have a promise to keep to a little girl, after all."

Souna smiled faintly at that, "I see. Well, I'd hate to keep you away from your obligations." She paused and nodded once, "What of the Monday you return?"

I cocked my head to the side. "I'm not sure how the day will end, I do have those compositions I'll need to grade. We'll have to see." Souna took the news with a nod and left the room. I released a breath and took my seat, reading through the papers more thoroughly as I waited for Issei.

Within moments, the door opened, revealing the boy I had asked to meet me. "Hyoudou-san, it's nice to see you here instead of outside of the Kendo Club's changing room." I said to him in a complete deadpan, to which he blanched, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"How, uh, did you know that, Sensei?"

I gave him a tired glare, "I listen to what's said around me, Hyoudou-san." Then I waved my hand lazily to the side, "Plus, I get complaints from Murayama-san and Katase-san every other time you and your group make your appearances, but that's neither here nor there." Rifling through the papers on my desk, I pulled out a sheet of paper. I held it out to him. "The reason I called you here was to give you this. Of all the students in the class, you're the only one who hasn't turned in a 'Future Plans' form." When Issei took it, he frowned lightly. "Do you have anywhere you need to go?"

My student shook his head. "No. Why do you ask Wolfe-sensei?"

A small frown appeared on my face as I looked to the clock. If I were to leave within the hour, I could get to Kyoto later tonight, while Kunou was still awake. But… Shaking my head, I motioned to the second chair near my desk. "Take a seat, Hyoudou-san. Let's have a chat."

Issei paused, a confused expression on his face, but complied anyway. "About what Sensei?"

"Your future." I said kindly, leaning back in my seat as I entwined my fingers. "Last I checked, I gave everyone ample time to fill out the form last week. I'm just curious as to why you didn't turn one in with the rest of the class." He frowned, which caused me to offer a smile. "You're not in trouble, Hyoudou-san, I promise you. I just want to know what's going on in that head of yours."

He hesitated lightly, rubbing his arm as he opened his mouth to answer, but stopped. Then he nodded, "I'm sorry, Sensei, I just didn't know what to write…"

"So you just don't know what you want to do?" At Issei's nod, I placed a hand on my chin. "Okay then… Then give me a preview of your composition. What's your dream? We can go from there."

"I want to be a Harem King!" He answered with a sudden determination that caused me to arch an eyebrow in amusement and simply stare at my student, slightly dumbstruck at his rather presumptuous dream. I had to hold back the entertained laugh at the shocked look from the other teachers in the room.

I blinked at him in silence for a moment, then nodded, accepting his dream without judgment. "Your dream is to have a…harem? Yes?" Issei nodded excitedly, his eyes alight with a hot-blooded fury. "That is an ambitious dream, Hyoudou-san. I must commend you for dreaming big." I replied with a hint of honest awe at the audacity of my student. I guess his moniker as the 'Leader of the Perverted Trio' was well-deserved.

"Thanks, Sensei." Issei continued, his tone turning somewhat sheepish as finally realized where he was. "You're one of the first people who hasn't pushed my dream aside…" That, of course, caused the other teachers in the room to also give me a perplexed look.

I gave him a strange look, arching an eyebrow. "Now why would I ignore the dream of one of my students?" Issei's eyes widened imperceptively at that, but I continued regardless. "If you want to progress and grow, you have to dream big. You need to give it your all, regardless of what other people say." I pulled out a sheet of paper and began to write a few things down. "Granted, your specific dream happens to depend quite a few variables."

"Oh?" Issei perked up, a hopeful expression appearing on his face as he straightened up. "Did you want a harem too when you were my age?"

Pausing, I regarded the heavily hormonal second year sitting at my desk and pondered his question. Did I honestly want a harem when I was his age? Well, when I was his age, I was fighting for my life against the agents of Darkness, Death and Destruction, with the occasional smatterings of Doom and the Evil Monologue. I barely had the time to even _think _of a relationship, let alone the chance to get laid consistently. Granted, there was the intermittent 'one last fling' with a willing, and attractive, female companion during my Life-or-Death adventures, but either she died, or she went her own way, afterwards.

Did I want a harem? No. For one, adequately satisfying _one_ woman was exhausting enough, even when you knew her intimately. Trying to do so for multiple partners was a very tiring thought. Secondly, I've always been a one-woman man, and I'm not just saying that because Yasaka has told me, in a very polite and unassuming way, that if I even _thought_ of making a pass at another woman, accidentally or not, she would incinerate what made me a man.

The fact that that was the very same night we conceived Kunou made me wonder if I was a closet masochist, to the point where even I didn't know. I carefully kept that thought to myself, for fear that my dear wife happened to appreciate the possibility.

I've trained my entire life to _avoid_ pain, thank you very much.

"No. Never in my life have I wanted a harem, Hyoudou-san. I am very happy with the monogamous relationship I have with my wife." I answered in a complete deadpan, regarding him with a no-nonsense gaze.

Issei, on the other hand, gave me a look that made me wonder if I had inadvertently blasphemed against his religion. "I…I don't know what to say to that…" He honestly looked lost and confused at my words, clearly not comprehending the fact a man could be happy with a single woman.

"Good, because that's not what we're talking about." I said abruptly, adding the finishing touches on the paper I was writing. "Your dream, while…unorthodox, is unique and tells me many things about the person you are." I began tactfully, trying to maintain a professional rapport with my eccentric, in spite of how ridiculously unrealistic I truly thought it was. "However, if you want this…harem, then you'll have support all of the girls with which you'll be in a relationship. You wouldn't want to force all of those poor girls to be out on the street, now would you?"

He gave me an affronted look, "Of course not!"

I nodded with approval at what he said. "Good. To support them, you'll need a career. Are there any hobbies you have? Some things you like to do in your spare time? When you're not doing your homework, of course." I finished with a playfully snarky tone, causing Issei to chuckle sheepishly.

"Uh… I like watching porn."

His blunt question nearly caused me to slam my head onto my desk in surprise. Lifting a hand, I had to hold back a laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation. "While…I'm glad you're comfortable with me enough to tell me that, Hyoudou-san, I'd prefer it if you didn't." Issei laughed with a hint of embarrassment. "Now, is there anything _else_ you do that you think you could make a living out of?" With that, two of us delved into more professional conversation about what he could do in the future.

When we had finished this specific topic, I gave him the appropriate papers that he needed to fill out and gave him a questioning glance. "I've been wondering something…"

He met my gaze, his head cocked to the side. "What is it, Sensei?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

Issei hummed lightly and nodded his head, "Yeah, an older brother, but Aniki's been off at boarding school for the last few years." He crossed his arms, "Kaa-san did say that she and Tou-san got a letter from him saying that he'd be back within the week. Why do you ask?"

I regarded him for a moment, considering whether I should tell the truth or not. Then again, I'd basically built my current identity on a fountain of well-crafted lies, so I shouldn't really care at this point. It's not like these kids could outmaneuver me diplomatically or linguistically. "It's just something I remember reading on your file…"

With that resolved, I dismissed Issei, he offered his thanks and left the Teacher's office. Before picking my things up to leave, I released a tired breath and slumped against my desk.

If I knew being a teacher would end up being this exhausting, I'd have tried to find something else as a cover…

With all of the items I would need to take with me from the school, I stepped out of the front door of the main campus and into the courtyard. Striding forward, I slid a free hand into a pocket and released a breath. Whistling softly, I was about to step out of the front gates, when a voice called out to me.

"Wolfe-sensei!" Turning around slightly, I caught sight of a crimson-haired young woman with sea-green eyes and a body that would floor a lesser a man. Thankfully, I'm not a lesser man and have been around long enough to not be affected by a pretty face with an equally pretty body. Behind her, there was another young woman, an inch or two shorter, with long, below-knee-length black hair tied into a ponytail with an orange ribbon. She was also beautiful like the girl in front of her, with pleasantly narrowed violet eyes.

"Ah. Gremory-san, Himejima-san, how are you both this fine afternoon?" I asked politely, offering a smile.

Rias returned the gesture, "I'm doing fine, Sensei. Thank you for asking."

"As am I." Akeno replied, an elegant smile on her face, nodding her head to me.

"Is there anything I can help you both with?" I tried to keep my impatience hidden, not wanting to delay returning home any longer. Thankfully, my years of experience allowed me to school my expression perfectly.

"I just wanted to thank you for your help in procuring the items I needed for the clubroom." Rias said with a winning beam. "I truly could not have done it without your help, Sensei."

I waved a hand at her, as if physically brushing it aside. "It's no problem, Gremory-san. It's my job to help my students, so you don't need to thank me." I gave her a one shoulder shrug. "It's the teacher's duty to help his students, so it's nothing you need to worry about."

Rias pouted, crossing her arms under her generous bust. "Can't you accept my gratitude, Sensei?"

"Nope." I replied instantly, a smirk playing at my lips. I checked my watch, "Is there anything else? Because there's somewhere I really need to be." I gave her an apologetic half smile, half turning away from her.

The third sighed and shook her head, "No, Sensei. That's everything. It was nice to speaking to you again." She lifted a hand and waved, "See you next week, Sensei."

I nodded and turned fully away, leaving the campus proper. As I left, though, I widened my senses and focused on my hearing, an old trick from my training. Rias muttered softly to Akeno, "Did you get a feel for his power?"

"Yes…but it was held back." I could hear the frown in her tone as she continued, "He's clearly human, but he's far stronger than he lets on, Buchou."

"I see… How much stronger?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as Akeno paused. "…I don't know."

* * *

><p>I'm Human, completely and totally. Capital 'H' and all that entails. There isn't drop of nonhuman blood flowing through my veins. I should know, I used every available amount of information in an attempt to trace my lineage, as difficult as that is considering how old I am. Hell, I still don't have a concrete idea exactly how old I <em>really<em> am, I've been alive and kicking for so damn long. I just gave up keeping track after my 437th birthday.

Oh, well, I guess I better explain that I'm immortal, in a way. Yeah, I'm immortal; as in I won't die from old age. According to Auren, a friend who's in the same immortal boat as me, our cells have become able to perfectly copy themselves, down to the last scrap DNA. There is no degradation, no possibility of cancerous cells coming forth. Even diseases won't kill me; I haven't even had the sniffles as far as I can remember. I can still be killed, of course, but only in battle. I can still be injured and take time to heal, like any other Human.

For far too long, my two friends and I never knew why we became what we became. It occurred to us one fateful day when I pointed out that we haven't physically changed, in spite of three arduous years of near-death experiences. Even then, we had no idea _why_ we had become immortals. From then, we simply used the newfound time allotted to us and traveled the world.

Thankfully, someone had taken notice of us and the changes, not to our bodies specifically, but because of our very _souls_. An Angel whose name escapes me greeted us and explained to use what we had become: Humans who had achieved and an unforeseen Potential. Capital 'P' Potential. According to him, when the Biblical God had created Humans, he added a…special ingredient to them, in order to show the love he had for them. Like the Holy Swords, Durandal, Excalibur and Ascalon, He had infused the soul of every Human with an infinitesimally tiny piece of his Grace. As a whole, it was negligible to Him, as it would be revitalized given enough time. In addition, the Grace was returned to him when a Human died, allowing it to move onto a newborn.

The Grace he had given to Humanity was a proclamation of his Love for the Human race. They were his final, and favored, creation, for which he wished nothing but the best for them. Unfortunately, they were far weaker in comparison to Angels, Devils and the other inhabitants of the Supernatural world. This is where the Grace came into play. Humans had one advantage over other species, and that was their sheer Potential. The Grace granted to them gave each and every Human Limitless Potential. With the presence of that Grace, a Human could potentially grow to become more powerful than an Angel. However, the chances of that happening were highly, _highly_, unlikely. To even come close to a fraction of that power, a Human had to push themselves to the brink of death every day, pushing and training themselves to their absolute limit.

_That_ is where my comrades and I came into play. We had reached the pinnacle of normal Human potential over the course of the bloody and violent war that had torn our home country to pieces. We fought, bled, killed and persevered in spite of every obstacle that was thrust in our path. Our lives flashed before our very eyes more times than any of us would ever care to admit and we grew stronger for it, every time. Death was over our very shoulder with every step we took and forced us to progress, to achieve _more_. We survived the destruction of our home, the annihilation of our very civilization and watched as a new one was created from the ashes.

The Angel told us that we had reached a point in our development that we became _more_ than mere Humans, yet were still considered Human in every sense of the word. With that bomb dropped into our laps, we were given the answer to our questions. We had become the ideal Humans that the Biblical God intended for his most beloved ones.

Life had become…strange from then on. Over the years, far more than I could ever hope to count, we had traveled together, shaping history with our actions, saving lives, inadvertently creating mythologies with our superhuman capabilities and continued to further the strengths we already had, growing more and more as we took advantage of the Limitless Potential. We were, and still are, soldiers at heart after all.

Then…we went our separate ways. A certain point was reached when it was agreed that three of us, together, was too much for the state of things. Our collective strength rivalled that of several, if not all, of the more powerful members of the Factions, with varied skills that could settle any and all conflicts that were presented to us. So…we went our separate ways and never looked back.

I had wandered for decades, not really searching for anything or anyone, but just to pass the time that had become immemorial to me. I helped where I could, offering words of wisdom every so often, and simply continued on my seemingly endless pilgrimage. The idea of love never failed to leave a mark on my mind; solitude would influence anyone to yearn for companionship. Yet, I knew that I couldn't, in good conscience, allow myself to fall for just anyone. The last thing I wanted was to watch as my loved ones die before me as I effortlessly outlived them. That was fate I wouldn't wish on my worst of enemies.

Then… I met _her_…

* * *

><p>I stepped onto the platform within the station and hefted the bag on my shoulder. Peering out the window, I took in the endlessly black night sky and couldn't help but remember the days where I lied under the stars, losing myself in them. Leaving the station, I sucked in a breath as I looked through the streets and the milling people. I had returned to Kyoto. Adjusting the bag that hung on my shoulder, I strode through the crowds of milling pedestrians, who were each trying to go their own way.<p>

Effortlessly navigating the sea of people, I slipped out of crowd and broke away from it. Walking a few more blocks, I looked around to check if there were any people who happened to be facing my direction. Smirking when I saw that no one was looking, I walked into a narrow alleyway and approached one of the walls. Testing the waters, I placed my foot onto the wall and tried to see if I could gain some purchase. Feeling confident with my footing, I jumped up and planted a foot one the wall, kicking up and back onto the other side of the alley. Gradually climbing upwards, I kicked from wall to wall until I reached the rooftops. Stepping forward, I crouched and released a breath, grinning playfully. "Let's see if I still have it…"

Shooting forward, I leapt forward and up off the rooftop to the next. My feet landed sure and flat as I kept my weight forward, continuing without effort. Traversing the rooftops was quicker and more efficient for me, thanks to my long-practiced agility and dexterity. As I further progressed into Kyoto, I happened to catch sight of several figures approaching me from the distance in the night sky. Coming to a stop, I crossed my arms and watched as the karasu-tengu dropped onto the rooftop.

The leader of the group of five stepped forward and dropped to a knee in deference, the remaining four following immediately after. "Lord Lyall, it is an honor to see you returning to Kyoto."

I sighed heavily and shook my head, "Yoru, stand up. I have told you numerous times that you do not need bow to me. Yasaka is the leader, not I."

The long-nosed Yokai shook his vehemently. "I cannot do that, Lord Lyall, as you have aided in the continued prosperity of our home. As well as bringing happiness to our leader. We owe you a debt that we cannot hope to repay."

I groaned at his answer, knowing full well that he meant every word. While I did appreciate the respect, I did not like the deference. I prefer to be seen as anyone else would, but it seems as if that's out of my reach. "Regardless, I believe it is time for me be home. I have two very important people to meet and would rather they not wait any longer." That brought a knowing smile to Yoru and his fellows. "If it were any other moment, I would not ask this, but now, time is of the essence. Which of you fellows is willing to carry me back home?"

With that, there was a confusing and rather frustrating debate amongst the karasu-tengu over who would be the one who would their 'vaunted lord' and it took a glare from yours truly to Yoru to hurry things along. One awkward flight through the empty night sky and was being lowered onto the pathway of the rooftop garden of the home I shared with Yasaka and Kunou.

"How have they been, Yoru?" I asked the tengu as he and I walked along the path, the rest of his retinue having dispersed to go about their business.

"Eagerly awaiting your return, Lord Lyall." He answered with a knowing smile.

I couldn't be angry with him when he spoke my title with such a statement. Yet at the same time, I couldn't keep the excitement in my chest from blossoming. I love my family dearly, but the tasks that I must do are unavoidable and have to leave for extended periods of time. Yet, no matter the amount of times I leave, I always find it in me to feel exhilaration and anticipation whenever I return home.

Releasing a breath to calm myself, I returned to business for the last time that night. "What of Hajime and Jeanne? Were they able to safely make it to Kuoh?"

He nodded, "Yes, Milord. Yasaka-hime received the affirmative after Hajime-dono fulfilled the first part of the mission you assigned him."

I hummed in acceptance to his statement. I had received a request from Azazel about keeping an eye on his subordinates in case there was something shady going on behind his back. I was reluctant at first, but when I heard of the ranking of the Fallen Angels and the location of the job, I had accepted it gave it to Hajime. He had been away from home long enough and had learnt enough from me to develop himself as a warrior on his own from now on. Jeanne as well had reached the point where I had nothing left to teach; she had no family to return to, being a homeless orphan when I found her, so I had her go with Hajime. Hopefully, from there, the pair will be able to progress on their own properly.

"Did they leave with the appropriate artifacts?" I asked him.

Yoru gave an affirmative. "Yes. He took the dagger and the two swords that you had allowed him."

"Jeanne?"

"There was nothing she wanted, claiming that she was capable enough with her Sacred Gear."

I nodded at that. "Indeed, Blade Blacksmith is a rather effective tool." I snorted and crossed my arms. "If I had something like that in my growth, it would have saved me quite a bit of trouble." Yoru laughed at that as we reached the door that lead inside. "I can handle things from here, Yoru. Go home to your family. I'm sure they miss you."

He bowed his head to me, "The same can be said of you, Milord." I waved him off with a grunt as he let out a gentle laugh and took to the sky.

Opening the door, I walked inside and locked it behind me. Smiling softly, I took off into my home, running silently as I made my way to Kunou's room to surprise her. Ghosting through the halls, I effectively evaded the occasional maid that roamed the halls for last minute cleaning. Moving quickly and patiently, I reached the door to her room and carefully pushed it open to peer inside.

Little Kunou was sitting next to her laid out futon, her head bobbing up and down as she tried to remain awake. Her tiny fingers were in front of her, entwined as she held her hands together on her lap. The ears on her head were drooped in exhaustion, as were her tails. From the side, I could see her eyelids falling repeatedly, before she quickly opened them and shake her head violently to stay awake.

A small laugh escaped me as I silently slid the door fully open, step inside and close it behind me. Stealthily approaching her, I noticed her ears twitch as I approach, lifting in recognition. Upon reaching her, I hooked my hands underneath her arms and hefted her into my arms.

Her eyes shot open as she saw me, a look of utter joy appearing on her face as she lit up. "Otou-sama!" She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and held me in a tight embrace.

I laughed as I dropped down to sit as I returned the embrace. "You know, Kunou, it is passed your bed time." I told her in a stern, yet happy tone.

She froze and pulled away from me, looking down sadly. "I-I'm sorry, Otou-sama." She mumbled cutely, rubbing her eyes as her body was slowly giving out to exhaustion. "I just _really_ wanted to see you before I went to bed. I mean, since Hajime-nii-sama and Jeanne-nee-sama left, the only people who stayed were Kuroka-nee-sama and Okaa-sama. Okaa-sama was busy with work and Kuroka-nee-sama was taking a nap." She leaned into my chest and hummed softly. "I was _so_ excited when I learned that Otou-sama was coming back home that I couldn't get to sleep, then I started to really tired…"

"Then I managed to get back in time to see my Princess." I leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head, scratching her ears afterwards. "I said I'd get home to see you and I meant it."

She giggled, nuzzling her face into my chest. "I'm glad your home, Otou-sama…" Kunou said one last time before she fell asleep.

"So am I, Kunou, so am I…" Holding her with one arm, I moved the blankets on her futon aside and laid her down under them. Tucking her in, I leaned forward and kissed her on the forward. "Sleep well, my adorable little Kitsune."

Getting to my feet, I turned to face the door just in time to see Yasaka standing there, a faint smile on her face. "Hey." I said to her under my breath, careful to not wake Kunou. "I figured you'd have put her into bed before now." I walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist as I pulled her into a tight embrace.

She returned it, her head rest on my shoulder. "I was going to, but you got to her first." We stepped out of Kunou's room and slid the door shut, then made our way to our room. "You spoil her, you know." A pout made its way on her face, a glare leveled at me.

A hushed chuckle escaped me. "I can't help it; she's my Princess and she knows it."

"Yes and that leaves me with the discipline." Yasaka said with a dry tone, giving me the _look_ that all men should fear. "I would appreciate a little help when our daughter acts out… Especially, if it happens to be _your_ notes she happens to be following." She spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, which instantly had me in a cold sweat.

_I-I should have known she'd figure it out that fast!_ I gulped inaudibly, adjusting the strap on my shoulder and laughed lightly. "I figured Kunou could use something fun to ease the separation. You know how much she likes to listen to my stories."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean she should torment the help. Poor Yoru was drenched in honey and chicken feathers." Yasaka placed a hand over her mouth as she cleared her throat, clearly trying to conceal the laughter I saw in her eyes.

I released a breath, "Fine. I'll try to think of something else for her. She's still too young for me start training her in my personal styles, but how is she coming along with her Kitsune abilities?"

A look of pride appeared on her face, "Kunou is coming along nicely for her age. Though she doesn't have the power, considering her age, her control is rather advanced for her age."

I gave her a sly look, "You better be careful, Yasaka. Soon, our little Kunou be the one teaching you a thing or two about your magic."

A smile appeared on her face, "I look forward to that day, but she's still learning right now." Then she gave me a questioning gaze. "When will you start teaching her your Martial abilities?"

Pursing my lips, I came upon an emotional quandary. While I did want Kunou strong and skilled enough to defend herself, I didn't want to show her too much and push her too hard, as what I know is tempered and strengthened by experience. As a warrior, I knew she needed to start soon so that she could grow into it and be a better fighter because of it. As a father, though, I didn't want her to overexert herself in trying to make me proud. I know my daughter better than she knows herself; like with Yasaka and her teachings, Kunou loves to overachieve to make us proud, but there's a more personal danger with my skills. Attempting, and possibly failing, to overachieve in my more dangerous Martial abilities can lead to lethal mistakes…

"Two years. I'll wait for two more years so she can focus on your tutelage and being a kid, then I'll get her started. Kunou needs to grow a bit more for my training."

Yasaka nodded and grabbed my arm, giving me a comforting squeeze. "I can see how it troubles you and it does the same for me. It hurts to watch her grow so quickly, but we can't hold her back." When I nodded, she gave an accepting sigh and led me to the bedroom. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside and put her back towards me. I watched as she toyed with the obi of her kimono and felt my eyes widen when the kimono fell loosely, hanging from her shoulders, baring them for me to see. Looking over her shoulder, she licked her lips and smirked.

"Now are you going to let me welcome you back home, or are you going to stay there gaping like a fish?"

I let out a husky chuckle and approached her, pulling her into a deep kiss.

Sometimes, it pays to be a family man.

* * *

><p>Language Note: 'Shishou' is bent more towards a martial arts teacher. 'Sensei' is simply teacher.<p>

* * *

><p><em>This is another idea I've had ruminating in the back of my mind. There are easily recognizable tropes I'm using in this fic, but I'm going to try and make things more unique compared to other fics. Which in and of itself is a task on its own.<em>

_I'll still be working on The Bloodstained Omamori, of course, but I need something else, something different, also resting in my thoughts otherwise I'll burn out and lose interest. I _don't_ want that to happen, so that's where this fic comes in. It's a buffer fic for my minds sake. I'll still treat it like it's one of the main fics, but it's to help me rest my thoughts on Omamori._

_Yes, one of the protagonists of the fic the older brother of Issei. I've seen others like it, going back and forth from older to younger, but I wanted to try it for myself. As for his past and reasons why he left, they'll be elaborated on over the course of this fic._

_The three Humans in this fic are based off of the Dungeons and Dragons characters that I and a friend of mine created. I've been given permission to use them, but his two won't play a big role, but background and supplementary/mentor roles. Don't ask for their levels, because it'd be far too high to calculate and it would make me cry due to the fact that I would've wasted hours upon hours upon hours of my life._

_-For simplicity's sake, the Hunter is Lyall, but his cover when dealing with non-supernatural individuals and those who don't know his identity, his name is Connor Wolfe._

_As strong as Lyall is, he'll primarily play the mentor role, offering advice and counsel to the growing teens. When it comes to battles, he's so experienced and skilled that the fights would end rather quickly and unceremoniously. I've yet to figure out how he compares to the strongest in the story; but I will say this, Great Red, and Ophis, would stomp his ass like it's nobody's business, so no worries about the fact that he may end up, well, OP._

_The pairings, for the most part, will be harems. Except for Lyall. His will remain a single pairing no matter what. Here are the pairings:_

_-Issei: Rias Gremory; Asia Argento; Irina Shidou; Xenovia; Koneko Toujou; Le Fay Pendragon; Aika Kiryuu; _

_-Hajime: Akeno Himejima; Ravel Phenex; Jeanne; Kuroka; Raynare; Rossweisse; Kiyome Abe;_

_-Lyall: Yasaka (Will forever remain unchanged, as stated by the irrefutable powers of the fanfic author.)_

_These are subject to change at any time, save for the last one. Feel free to request more as I'm still finalizing the harems for the characters. _

_Anyway, I hoped you like it!_


	2. Reunions and New Meetings

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing; however that doesn't mean I'm not petitioning for ownership. I just need signatures… lots of signatures. Sign, please? Please?

**A/N:** _Heh, I really like how this story was received. It's been sitting for quite a while, to be honest, and I wanted to get it out there. There are some ideas I have that still need to iron out, but those are later in the story._

_There will be three overall perspectives for this fic: __**The Hunter**__, __**The Disciple**__ and __**The Dragon**__. Lyall, Hajime and Issei. The first two will be more prevalent, but Issei will occasionally his time in the limelight. Canon will be changed quite a bit with the presence of Aegis and I'll do my best to show that. _

_I don't normally write lemons, because I prefer to not write certain words and being blunt with some things; I made sure to keep it tastefully written, but relatively easy to follow. If you don't want to read it, then skim or skip over it. _

_Harem Lists:_

_-Issei: Rias Gremory; Asia Argento; Irina Shidou; Xenovia; Koneko Toujou; Le Fay Pendragon; Aika Kiryuu; Bennia; Ophis;_

_-Hajime: Akeno Himejima; Ravel Phenex; Jeanne; Kuroka; Raynare; Rossweisse; Kiyome Abe; Sona Sitri; Serafall;_

_Anyway! _

_Read/review/Enjoy!_

**Humanity's Aegis**

Chapter Two

Reunions and New Meetings

**The Disciple**

On the way to my parent's home, Jeanne and I had managed to drop by one of the bathrooms in the park and change into more appropriate civilian clothing. We stashed out armor, cloak and weapons into the special bags that Shishou had supplied us and continued our trek. With some well-timed rubs and buffers, I had managed to make my new fedora presentable to society and put it on with a smirk. Stepping out of the bathroom, I was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of dark colored sneakers; in addition, I wore a T-shirt with an open button-up long-sleeve shirt over it. The fedora just happened to fit my wardrobe relatively well, something I found immensely pleasing and hilarious at the same time. Sometimes, things just work out the way you want them to.

Looking to the side, I saw Jeanne waiting on me. She was wearing a short skirt and blouse, both complementary shades of a light blue, with a pair of white sandals. Sitting atop her head was a wide brimmed white hat and hanging on her arm was a light colored purse. She had the tie in her hair, which offered a contrast with her outfit.

"Well don't I feel foolish." I said with a playful smile. "Making a lady wait on me."

Jeanne let out a small giggle, walking over to me. "But of course. You're the one who always who has to wear all of the extra armor." She wiggled a finger at me, giving me a 'tut-tut-tut' sound. "If you didn't feel that inadequate about protecting yourself, then you'd have been out sooner."

I squawked at that, "'Inadequate'! I'll have you know that I feel perfectly secure in my skills and ability to defend myself!" I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes playfully at her. "You're just jealous I can pull off the armored look."

She gasped, looking at me in shock. "You did not just… You _didn't_ just…" Jeanne lifted a hand and pointed at me with a childish glare. "How dare you insinuate that I can't pull off the Armored-Heroine Look!"

I turned my chin up and away from her. "I speak nothing but the truth. My opponents are lucky to have such a dashing warrior such as myself as their adversary. When they see you, they see a high school girl cosplaying as a fencer." I lifted a hand and waved flippantly to the side as I said the last part, knowing full well that it'd piss her off.

Her eyes widened comically as her mouth fell open in shock at my words. "'Cosplaying'!" Jeanne said unbelievingly. She stomped with a foot and pointed at me imperiously. "I'll have you know Hajime Hyoudou-kun that I've beaten you in more spars than I've lost. So, 'cosplay' that!"

I gave her a shocked look, unable to call her out on the last statement not making sense. "Th-that's neither here nor there! You cheated in all of them anyway!"

"Cheated?!" She shrieked and gave me an unbelieving look. "How did I cheat?!"

"You kept making swords after I broke them! If that's not cheating then I don't know what is!" Jeanne simply blinked at me, then suddenly started giggling, shaking her head quickly. I blinked in surprise and gave her a confused look, "What's so funny?"

She pointed at me with her free hand, the other covering her mouth. "You, Haji-kun." I gave her a confused look, which caused her to sigh. "You have to admit, this mission does scare us a little bit. I mean, we're given complete freedom to fulfill the objective; we've never had that."

I pursed my lips and crossed my arms at that. "Yeah… We haven't." Releasing a breath, I shook my head and motioned for her to follow. "C'mon, let's go. It's around the time when my little bro's school lets out."

Jeanne did so, falling into step at my side as we hefted our bags and walked out of the park. She reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. Seeing my questioning look, Jeanne lifted a finger and adopted a lecturing tone. "This is a list of possible souvenirs that Yasaka-sama and Kunou-hime wanted whenever we took missions." She reached over and poked me in my chest, frowning when she noticed no give. "You never get anything to bring back home, unlike me, so they left the list to me."

I rubbed the spot she poked, ignoring the measuring, and some appreciative, looks that others pedestrians were giving us. "Of course I never took the time to get anything, I'm either fighting for my life or running like a bat out of Hell. Or have you forgotten the crap that Shishou put us through on those missions?"

She shuddered ever so lightly, but still held her playfully stern gaze. "That may be the case, but _I _always found the time to find a souvenir for Kunou-hime. Even Yasaka-sama is appreciative for my ever-continuing hard work." Jeanne placed a hand on her forehead as she looked to the sky with world-weary gaze. "It's like I never get the appreciation I deserve from my partner…"

I snorted, crossing my arms as I gave her a sidelong look. "You're insane, you know that, right?" I said in complete deadpan, causing Jeanne to gasp in shock.

"That was mean, Haji-kun!" She slapped me on the arm and pouted at my straight-faced expression. We continued to hold eye contact in our silent standoff, waiting for one of us to give up first. The both of us remained resolute as we walked, effortlessly navigating the streets, stop signs and crosswalks, in spite of our focus being one another.

While this as going on, other bystanders were watching us with a hint of wonder and amusement in their gazes. The older people were a cross between ignoring us or watching in amusement at what appeared to be a young couple play-arguing; those around our age were simply wondering who we were, curiosity evident in their gazes. The younger ones were giggling at the comical event occurring in front of them, a rather petite teenage young woman pouting up to the taller, broader young man.

Releasing a breath, I shook my head with a heavy sigh. "Fine, you win…"

Jeanne's pout morphed into a grin as she hummed in success. "I knew you'd say that~." She tucked the piece of paper back into her purse.

Hearing her words, I grumbled and looked to the side. "I still say you cheated…"

"Sore loser~."

I growled out, unable to find a proper counter to her retort. As I was facing away from Jeanne, I took notice of the uniform some of the students around us were wearing. The girls were wearing a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, a black shoulder cape and matching button-down corset, and a magenta skirt with white accents. My eyes tracked the uniform clinically and discretely as I connected it to what I was told.

"Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be a student at Kuoh Academy, would you?" I asked the girl politely, noticing that she had long brown hair, which had several drill-like curls.

She jumped a little at my voice, clearly surprised at my question, but relaxed upon noticing my harmless, yet curious, gaze. She nodded once, "Yes. Why do you ask? Are you transferring in?" She seemed a little in hesitant at speaking to someone she didn't know at all. Smart.

I paused at her question, then nodded. "Yes, I'm transferring in, but until the week after next and it'll be into the college division. I ask because I have a little brother going there and was wondering what the school is like."

"I see." The girl hummed at my answer, then replied, "Kuoh Academy has a beautiful campus with an assortment of clubs. I don't know much about the college division, since I'm still a third year, but I have heard good things about the various departments; nearly everyone who graduates from there has been able to get a good job right after graduating."

I nodded at that, giving a pleased hum. "I see, that's good."

From my side, Jeanne leaned forward to catch my attention and that of the girl's. "Haji-kun? What're you talking about?"

I regarded her for a moment, then replied, "I was simply asking…" I looked to the girl and offered a rueful smile. "Ah, I'm sorry. I never asked for your name." Bowing my head, I said, "I'm Hajime Hyoudou, nice to meet you."

"Jeanne Wolfe!" Jeanne said excitedly, using the cover name that Shishou supplied for her during our time in Kuoh.

"Kiyome Abe. It's nice to meet the both of you as well." Her blue eyes narrowing as she focused on Jeanne. "You wouldn't happen to related to Wolfe-sensei, would you?"

Jeanne's eyes widened in well-practiced realization. "Oh, that's right! Connor is a Teacher now." She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I forgot in the excitement of coming here." Seeing my expressionless gaze, she pouted and crossed her arms. Looking to Kiyome, Jeanne continued her explanation. "Connor's parents adopted me when I was really young and he's been my big brother ever since. I've been staying with his wife until now."

Kiyome nodded in acceptance, then her attention turned to me. "You…wouldn't happen to be related to a certain 'Issei Hyoudou' would you?" She sounded hesitant, giving me all the ammunition I needed for my cover to work perfectly.

I gave a hesitant chuckle, "What did my little brother do this time?" Groaning into my hand, I shook my head, "I leave for boarding school a few years ago and he falls so far… Dragging my name through the mud before I even get back…" I sighed and gave a rueful smile. "Yes, I know Issei. He's my little brother and has his own set of…quirks. Just…don't tell me what he's done, I'll ask him myself when I get back home."

A small laugh escaped her as Kiyome smiled faintly at my reaction. "Wolfe-san, what year are you transferring into?"

Jeanne placed a finger on her chin as she tried to recall. Seeing her hesitance, I answered for her, my tone completely deadpan. "A second year. You're going to be a second year, Jeanne."

"Oh! I forgot. Heh heh." She stuck her tongue out and tapped the side of her head with a fist.

I rolled my eyes at her, unable to hide the smile that made itself known on my face. Turning my head to look towards Kiyome, I asked her, "So, how is Connor as a teacher? I've met him a few times and he's never struck me as the teaching type." Once again, I sprinkle half-truths in order to tentatively gather information. Then again, Shishou is a phenomenal teacher, for combat based subjects. Everything else, I've noticed that he's rather flippant in regards to them.

Kiyome cocked her head to the side. "He teaches the English classes for all of the years and is extremely thorough in his explanations." Then she nodded once, crossing her arms under her ample chest. "It helps that he's fluent in both Japanese and English to an extent that if you didn't see him, you'd assume he was a native speaker."

I hummed and nodded at her explanation. "I see. That's good for him, I suppose. Connor has always been good at helping others." Then I released a breath, "Though, he is rather devoted to his family. It does suck that he goes so far from home to work."

That caused the girl give me a nod. "Yes. I've heard from my classmates that Wolfe-sensei loves his family dearly. Especially that little daughter of his!" Kiyome beamed widely as she looked back. "I saw a picture of her on his desk when I went to speak with him and nearly lost it, she was so cute!"

"Believe me, that picture doesn't do Kunou-hime justice." I replied with a fond smile. "She's far more adorable when you meet her in person… Though she hates it when you try to pick her up."

Jeanne beamed and hummed in approval. "Yep! The only person she lets do that is Connor. She's such a Daddy's girl."

"It doesn't help that he spoils her…" I said dryly.

Kiyome regarded us with wide eyed looks. "The two of you have met Wolfe-sensei's daughter?"

I nodded to her, "Yeah, he lets me babysit in the past whenever he and Yasaka went out." I motioned to Jeanne and gave Kiyome a deadpan look. "You really think he'd let someone who acted like a child watch his 'Princess'?"

"Hey! I don't act like a child!" Jeanne whined, puffing her cheeks out in a pout as she glared at me.

I regarded her with a blink, blinked once more and turned my attention back to Kiyome. "Case in point."

"Mou!"

Kiyome giggled lightly at our antics, lowering her guard just a little bit more. "The two of you are funny, you know that."

I smirked and reached over, poking Jeanne in the side, causing her to squeal. "Yeah, we're hilarious." I said in a montone, meeting Jeanne's childish glare with partially lidded eyes.

The Kuoh Third year let out another laugh, "You two must really be close, to push each other around so much."

Jeanne turned her attention from me, giving Kiyome an inquisitive gaze. "Hm, I guess Haji-kun and I are close…" She poked me on my chest, levelling a studying stare at me. "Ne, Haji-kun, how long have we known one another?"

"Around seven years as far as I know."

She grinned and poked me again, "Yep! We've known each for that long!"

Kiyome hummed, a small frown playing at her lips. Her eyes flickered to me, catching my tired expression I tried to whether Jeanne's excited temperament. Then she looked forward to see that we were approaching another intersection. "Oh, this where I need to make a turn."

"Hm, Jeanne and I have to keep going straight."

She made a somewhat disappointed hum at that. "I was enjoying our short chat, too…"

"We'll both be in Kuoh on Monday." I said to assuage her. "Jeanne will be starting then and I'll have to drop off a few necessary reports to fully integrate my enrollment. We can meet you then to catch up and talk more." I looked to her, then Jeanne, "That sound's good?"

Jeanne nodded excitedly, turning her attention to Kiyome and grabbing her hands. "That sounds awesome, right, Abe-senpai?"

The poor girl smiled politely, but seemed quite shocked by Jeanne's exuberance. "Um, yes, of course, Wolfe-san." She turned her head to me, "I'm President of the Tennis club and we normally meet every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school. How does that sound?"

I nodded to her, giving her a faint smile. "That should work out. I won't start until the week after next. Jeanne and I can meet with you then." Then I laughed sheepishly, "Don't expect me to be much of a tennis player, though. I've never played before in my life…"

Kiyome simply gave a resolute nod. "No need to worry, I can teach the both of you." Jeanne gave an excited squeal and did a small dance around me, much to my partial annoyance. "Well, I look forward to seeing you then, Hyoudou-kun, Wolfe-san." She bowed her head to us and turned down the road to make her way home.

With that, Jeanne calmed down slightly and followed after me as I continued on the way to my parents' home. She giggled and leaned into my arm, "You've already gained an admirer, Haji-kun." She then poked me in the chest, a small pout on her face. "You're not trying to pick up girls when you just got here, are you?"

I arched an eyebrow at her, "What makes you say that? I'm just trying to be cordial." I shrugged a single shoulder, "It's just a coincidence that the first Kuoh Academy student happened to be a girl."

She narrowed her eyes at me, an audible hum coming from her as she studied me intensely. "I see, Haji-kun…" Jeanne sped up a bit to walk around a foot ahead of me. Seeing the subtle tenseness of her shoulders, I released a breath and hurried forward to reach her.

Upon reaching her, I wrapped my arms around her and stopped the both of us. Holding her against me, I placed my chin on the top of her head and said, "You know, you don't have any reason to be jealous. You were my first and that will never change…"

Jeanne paused when I embraced, leaning against me. A small hum escaped her, then she replied, "But not your only…?"

"We don't know what the future holds, so I can't make that promise." I gave her one last squeeze, then released her, to which she grabbed my arm. "I can promise something else, though..." I paused, letting her give me a questioning glance. "You'll always be my partner; always the one person I'll choose to cover me. There's no one I trust more." I said to her softly, looking to the side with a hint of embarrassment as I absently scratched my cheek with a single finger.

"What about Shishou?" Jeanne asked playfully.

I snorted, shaking my head. "Shishou is in a league of his own. If anything, I'd hold him back, regardless of the circumstance." Giving her a sideways glance, I said, "Are you feeling better now? Or do I need to embarrass myself further with more public displays of affection?" I spoke with a wry tone as I waited for her reply.

She hummed in thought as she looked to the sky. "For now." Jeanne said with a playful smile. Then skipped ahead, leaving me a few feet behind as she turned and lifted a hand to wave it at me. "C'mon, Haji-kun! We're lagging behind!" She giggled as she raced ahead, the route to my parent's home already memorized by the both of us.

I released a heavy breath, adjusting the fedora with a small smile. "I swear…she'll be the death of me one of these days…" Following after her in a more sedate pace, I slid my hands into my pockets, knowing full well that we were being watched.

The question was: who was it?

* * *

><p>A little under fifteen minutes later, Jeanne and I were walking up to the front door of the house at our destination. She placed a finger on her chin as she looked over the building. "So this is where you grew up before Shishou picked you up…"<p>

"Yeah. It hasn't changed at all, to be honest." I replied as I stepped up to the door and knocked loud enough to be heard. Hearing a woman's voice call out to us from inside, I waited as I heard someone shuffling in front of the door, followed by the doorknob turning and the door opening. An older woman with dark brown hair tied in the back and bangs hanging just above her eyes and framing her face appeared in the doorway. She wore a yellow button up shirt and light blue jeans. Lifting a hand, I gave my mother a fond smile and said, "Hey, Kaa-san, I'm home."

I was instantly pulled into a tight hug, one which I returned with emotion I had no clue I was holding back. "My oldest son is back." She pulled back and smiled widely, her hands resting on the sides of my arms. "You've gotten so tall, Hajime." Then her eyes widened slightly when she squeezed my arms, releasing a small laugh. "And you've grown just as much." My mother's gaze then flicked to over my shoulder, where Jeanne was standing behind. A sly smile appeared on her face. "Oh, who is this, Hajime?"

I chuckled and turned, motioning Jeanne to come forward. "Kaa-san, this is Jeanne Wolfe. I met her during my time in boarding school."

She gave a wide smile and lifted a hand, "Hi, Haji-kun's Kaa-san!"

My mother simply laughed into her hand, no doubt at the name Jeanne had given me. "Well, come in, come in. I had started dinner not a few minutes ago, I can easily add a few more portions." When I was about to protest, she gave me a maternal glare that caused my mouth to shut with a click. "Nonsense, you've just come back home. Let your Kaa-chan make you some home-cooked food."

I let out a small laugh. "It has been too long since I've eaten with the family." The three of us entered the house, with me shutting the door behind us and hanging my fedora on the coat rack. Changing into a pair of house slippers, I stepped into the living room and was hit with a sense of nostalgia. It had been so long since I last stood in this house, my last memory of it being the moment I was leaving. "Where are Tou-san and Issei?"

"Tou-san is coming in late from work; he should be back in about half an hour. Issei must have had to stay behind at school." She answered as she walked into the kitchen. Jeanne and I followed her inside, listening to the rest of her explanation. "Oh, Issei's been so lost with you gone, Hajime. He's went astray and has gone down the path of being a pervert." I gave a deadpan expression as I listened to her, watching as Jeanne was giggling into her hand. "I just hope that with you back, he'll see how responsible you've become and learn from you."

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head. "I don't know what I can do, but I'll do what I can with Issei. He _is_ a Second year though." After I said that, I walked up to the counter and was about to ask to help, but she quickly started to shoo me out of the kitchen.

"No. No. You just got here. I won't let you do anything, since it's your first day back." Kaa-san pointed me to the living room. I opened my mouth to reply, but a beseeching look from her made me sigh and acquiesce.

As I left, though, Jeanne placed a finger on her chin and mused, "Ano, can I help?"

"Of course dear." She then started to give her instructions on what to do. I simply looked at the two of them from the entryway to the living room with a somewhat shocked look. With a sigh of defeat, I walked over to the chair and dropped down just in time to hear my mother casually ask Jeanne what her relationship with me was. I blocked it out as I could easily go along with whatever she said, then I turned on the TV and began to watch.

Time passed relatively quickly as I stared uninterestedly at the picture box, slowly but surely smelling the foodstuffs that were being prepared in the other room. As I sat there, I caught sight of the front door being opened and saw my father walking inside, announcing his arrival to mother. "I'm home!" He was an older looking man, with pronounced laugh lines around his mouth and a stable hairline. He was currently dressed in a uniform reminiscent of an office worker. As he changed into a pair of house slippers, his gaze went over to the living room, where he no doubt heard the TV and caught sight of me sitting on the couch.

Getting up from the couch, I approached him with a small smile. "Welcome home, Tou-san."

"Hajime." He said with a hint of fondness as we grasped hands, shaking like men. His eyebrows rose as he regarded our clasped hands with an appraising gaze. "Nice, strong grip. I guess your time away from home gave you more than just academics, huh."

I grinned and rubbed the back of my head. "I had to have _some_ hobbies." I answered cryptically.

He let out a small laugh. "Where's your mother?"

I pointed over my shoulder, "In the kitchen with Jeanne."

"Jeanne?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"A friend." I said simply, though the smile I gave caused him to nod with his own knowing smirk. At that, he simply motioned for me to sit with him in the living room and we began to talk. I had honestly lost track of time as I spoke with my father, telling him my cover what I did during my time away from home. In essence, I wasn't lying, per se; I honestly _was_ off to learn from people who were talented at what they knew, it's just the true focus of what I learned _wasn't_ academics. While Shishou wasn't training me, Yasaka, along with scholarly tutors, were teaching what I needed to know. Half-truths and truths were all throughout my story, adding the believability that my tale needed to pass.

Thankfully, my father accepted everything I said, stating that he was proud of me for working so hard in spite of being so far from home. That warmed my heart immensely, so much so that it hurt that I had lied to him. Regardless, it was a necessity; I had joined a world where I had to keep secrets, secrets that could harm those I cared for if they uncovered them. I was just thankful that Shishou taught me to be a good liar.

It was during this moment that Issei had arrived, dropping his bag onto the ground as he announced his arrival. Tiredly rubbing his head, he looked up to the coat rack and furrowed his brow upon seeing the fedora hanging there. "Who's hat is that…?" He asked as he stepped into the living room proper.

"Oi, Issei, what's this hear about you tormenting people at school with your perversion?" I asked him with a playful tone, catching his attention as he gave me a somewhat unbelieving look.

He blinked once, then twice. "Aniki?"

"The one and only." I smirked as I stood and walked over to him.

Issei then gave me wide smile. "How have you been, Aniki?"

Kicking ass, taking names, saving lives. You know, the usual. "Just preparing for college, to be honest. I took an extra year of schooling to better prepare, gaining references and the like." I crossed my arms and gave him an arched eyebrow. "That's what I've been doing, but what about you?"

He paused, blinked, and began to chuckle sheepishly. "I, uh, have no idea what you're talking about, Aniki…"

I paused and turned around to regard our father with a playfully discrete glance, then turned back to Issei. Throwing an arm around his shoulder, I whispered to him conspiratorially, "I have to ask, little bro, how are the girls at Kuoh? Is it really a 5 to 1 ratio of girls to guys?"

Issei sucked in a breath and nodded sagely, "It is as you think, Aniki." He looked around shiftily and whispered, "I have…stuff you can borrow…"

"Issei, stop trying to give Hajime some of your porn and get yourself cleaned for dinner." Our mother said as she and Jeanne moved things onto the table in the dining room.

My little brother squawked and gave her a shocked look. "I-I have no clue what you're talking about!"

Shaking my head at him, I gave him a push. "Just go on ahead, we can talk 'shop' later." I gave him a smirk as he sighed and headed up the steps with his bag in hand. Turning, I walked into the dining room just as Mom and Jeanne placed the last of the dishes on the table. "I could have helped you know."

My mother waved a hand at me. "You just came back, I wouldn't just let you exert yourself with this."

"Yet, you let Jeanne help out…" I replied dryly.

She simply gave me a knowing smile. "What? Can I not talk to my son's close friend?" She regarded Jeanne with a sly smile. "After all, it's not every day when one of my sons bring a girl home."

Jeanne flushed at the words, "Aw, shucks, Kaa-chan, you're making me blush!" She placed her hands on her cheeks as she grinned playfully.

I blinked, regarding my mother with a sigh. "You're having Jeanne call you 'Kaa-chan', Kaa-san?"

"Oh, but of course. After hearing how from her how the two of you get along so well, I wouldn't ask for anything else." She answered nonchalantly, calling my father into the dining room.

"Well…I'm at least glad that you approve." I answered dryly as I gave Jeanne a somewhat perplexed look, to which she replied with a grin and a bat of her eyelashes. I sighed and motioned to the table. My parents sat on one end of the table, next to one another, while Jeanne and I sat next to each other on the opposite side of the table. Within moments, Issei walked into the dining room and took a seat. He looked to us, but paused when he saw Jeanne. "Issei, meet a close friend of mine, Jeanne. Jeanne, meet my adorable little brother, Issei."

He frowned and glared at me for that, but sighed at my playful smirk.

Jeanne waved excitedly at Issei, "Hi, Issei-kun!"

With that, we all began to delve into the delicious dinner that my mother had made. Jeanne was the one who did the most talking while I ate my fill, offering a little here and there when someone asked what happened during my time in 'boarding school'. Jeanne and I traded off on informing my family of the various events that occurred over the years as well. I even dropped a few hints that I was now trained in basic combat, due to meeting one of the teachers one of the teachers at 'boarding school'.

"Where are you staying, Hajime? We still have your room open for you." Mother told me as placed my chopsticks onto the table.

I took a drink of tea to clear my throat, the replied. "We're staying at a place that was already bought and prepared for us, a gift for doing as well as I did during my time in school." Issei blinked in surprise when he heard me say 'we', followed by a somewhat perverted grin.

"Where is it?" My father asked.

I hummed as I recalled the address Shishou gave me. "It's a few blocks down the street, actually. The necessities are already in place there, to be honest; Jeanne and I just have to get there to check it out."

"The two of you…are living there together?" Issei asked me, his grin still in place.

At my nod, my parents turned to one another, clasping hands as they beamed at one another. "Kaa-san! It's going to happen! We'll finally have grandchildren; our good son has found a nice, pretty girl to start a family with!" Issei squawked at the 'good son' comment.

My expression fell until it was a mask of indifference. I looked to over to Jeanne, just to see that she was missing. "Kaa-chan! Tou-chan! I'm glad that you've let me join the family!" Turning my head, I caught sight of my partner giving my parents a bright eyed grin.

"Our daughter!" The pair cried out as the three embraced in an entwining hug.

I felt my eyebrow twitch as my schooled expression became a bit more strained. "Tch!" My attention was caught by Issei, who had his arms crossed. "My own Nii-san, acting like those damn handsome bastards at school." He lifted a hand and pointed it at me, his expression outraged. "How dare people like you make it difficult for people like me!?"

The corner of my mouth twitched in sync with my brow, as I looked from my parents and Jeanne speaking animatedly with one another, talking about baby names for some reason, and my little brother spouting out nonsense about the unfairness of the world. Must I be the only sane person in the room?

"Say, Issei, when can I expect to meet _your_ girlfriend?" His expression froze as he regarded me with a shocked look.

Who's to say that I can't play a similar game?

A few hours later, Jeanne and I bade farewell to my parents for the day, with my mother forcing us to take some leftovers from dinner, and were currently on our way to the house that Shishou got for us.

"Your family is fun, Haji-kun." Jeanne said with an excited giggle, walking closely next to me.

I smiled faintly, "Yeah. It was good seeing them again after all these years. Hopefully, Shishou doesn't give us too many missions so we can all catch up." I chuckled lightly when I remembered the look on Issei's face when he realized that I really was staying with Jeanne.

Jeanne hummed appreciatively as she walked next to me, looking up to the sky with a faint smile. "While it's not as nice as Kyoto, from what I've seen, I do like Kuoh so far. What do you think, Haji-kun?"

"Yeah, I feel the same, Jeanne." Looking to her, I gave her a wide grin. "It feels good to be home and I hope you feel the same way."

She flushed at my words, but matched my smile, leaning against my arm and grabbing my arm. "I guess I do…" With that said, we continued our trek to our new house, content with our companionable silence, basking in each other's presence.

* * *

><p><strong>The Hunter<strong>

The next morning came as I felt the rays of sunshine break through the blinds and illuminate the room with a subtle orange hue. I was lying under the blanket of the futon with a warm presence resting against me and my arm wrapped firmly around it. Mumbling softly, I pulled the warm, soft, body closer against me. A content sigh escaped the other occupant of the futon as she complied and snuggled closer. After a few moments, my eyes slowly opened as I was pushed into consciousness. Even after I had settled down, my internal clock has always forced me to wake early in the morning. At times, I found it helpful, while at others, it has pissed me off to no end.

Now, though, I found that I liked having to wake up early. Letting out a small yawn, I glanced down at my bare chest to see a head of golden blonde hair resting on it. Upon seeing that, I could hear the faint breathing from Yasaka as she slept soundly, along with the occasional twitch of the fox ears sitting on the top of her head. Reaffirming my hold on her sleeping form, I smiled lightly and sighed softly as I recalled the rather steamy tryst Yasaka and I shared last night. Honestly, I'm surprised that I even woke up as early as I have right now, considering how ravenous the two of us were.

My wife stirred as I lied there, regarding her with a measuring look. She released a small groan and lifted off of my chest, blearily looking around with a somewhat confused, yet content look on her face. When Yasaka had looked up to meet my eyes, she smiled faintly and moved up. She pecked me on the cheek and snuggled up to my side, humming contentedly as she pressed her bare breasts against my arm. "I enjoyed last night, Lyall."

I laughed from deep within my chest. "So did I." Kissing her deeply, I pulled away with a sly grin. "Care for a repeat?"

A small purr escaped her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "You tempt me, you know that. You tempt me oh so much…" We kissed again, slowly but surely meshing our lips together and entwining out tongues in the midst of a heavy, morning kiss.

But before we could go any further, the door to our room was pushed open and a pitter patter of light feet raced across the soft floor. We pulled away from one another just in time to see our excited daughter heading towards us; she dropped right onto my chest and beamed down at me. "Otou-sama! Okaa-sama! You're both awake!"

I released a small laugh and looked to Yasaka, who was holding the blanket to cover herself, to see her demurely smiling at our little girl's antics. Lifting a hand, I ruffled Kunou's hair and smiled up to her. "Hey there, Kunou. You seem excited this morning…"

She beamed widely, all nine of her fluffy tails waving excitedly behind her as she nodded. "Un! Otou-sama is here. I was _sooo_ excited that I woke up as soon as I could and ran here." She leaned down and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.

Looking to the side, I caught Yasaka smiling widely. Returning the hug to Kunou, I kissed on the head between her fox ears. "I'm glad to be home too, Kunou. Though, I have to ask…" Glancing playfully to her mother, I faux-whispered, "How many times did you manage to prank your mother?"

Kunou giggled and indiscreetly glanced to Yasaka, who was pretending to not pay attention. Then she looked back to me and whispered, though it clearly wasn't soft enough to escape notice, "Three times, Otou-sama. It was so fun! Hajime-nii-sama helped with the first one, but I got the second two on my own." She looked to me with an expectant look in her eyes, clearly waiting for my approval as her tails continued to wave.

Slyly glancing over to Yasaka, who was peering at me with narrowed eyes, I grinned to Kunou and tickled her on her sides, getting her to giggle. Leaning upwards, I whispered playfully into her ear, "Good job. I couldn't have asked for a better daughter."

She beamed and sit up, placing her hands on her lap as her tails betrayed her excitement. However, before she could ask me anything more, Yasaka spoke, "Kunou, will you give your father and I time to get ready for the day?" Kunou pouted and was about to say something, but her mother continued. "Why don't you go find Kuroka and see how she's doing?" A well veiled vindictive grin appeared on her face as she continued, her voice ironically sweet. "I'm sure she'd love to play with you for a little bit."

Kunou looked a little downtrodden, her ears and tails drooping ever so lightly. She turned her attention towards me, but when I said, "She's right, Kunou. It's still early." I placed a hand on top of her head, giving her a reassuring ruffle. "We won't be too long, so you can bug Kuroka for a bit, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay, Okaa-sama, Otou-sama." She gave us each a look that made me feel like I had taken an arrow right to the chest. Kunou got up and walked over to the door, looking over her shoulder with one last look before saying, "Don't take too long…" When she shut the door behind her, I gave Yasaka a look of suffering, only to see her regarding me with an entertained smile.

"You do realize that if I didn't say anything, you'd have had no way out, right?" She said dryly, clearly unaffected by Kunou's earlier puppy dog look.

I released a breath and shook my head. Then I paused, looked to the closed door, then back to Yasaka, who appeared to be waiting for something. A faint smile was playing at her full lips as her long hair framed her face. "Hm… I wonder…" I gave her a sly smirk. "Where were we?" Crawling over to her, I leaned over to her and captured her lips. Slowly and adoringly, we kissed each other as she leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my neck as I leaned forward with her below me.

A soft moan escaped her under my attentions as she entwined her fingers into my hair. Her other leg raised itself and hooked around my waist, pulling me closer as I smiled into the kiss. Gradually breaking the kiss, I looked into her lustful expression and gave her a questioning gaze, to which she nodded again, catching my lips in another kiss, her tongue resuming its exploration of the inside of my mouth. Reaching down, I lined myself up with her core and teased her womanhood carefully, which caused her to moan softly into the kiss. With her properly prepared, I slid myself into her with a small groan, feeling her inner walls wrap tightly around me.

Yasaka bucked at the penetration, but sighed at the presence inside of her, pulling my body closer. She moved in tandem with my movements, her hips moving back and forth gradually as I thrust into her. Breaking the kiss, I looked right into her lidded golden eyes. Her arms fell from around my neck and she placed her hands onto my chest; she bit her lower lip, moaning in pleasure at a well-timed thrust. Her lidded eyes closed as she bucked against my hips again, her arms wrapping around my body to hold herself closer to me.

My free hand moved from her waist to her bare breast, cupping it as I began to gently knead it with my fingers. Another restrained moan escaped her as she was struck by another pleasurable sensation. "N-Not at the s-same time!" Yasaka whispered earnestly into my ear, the breathlessness of it driving me absolutely crazy. The hand holding her leg up slid up it to cup her firm ass and pulled her towards me in time with another thrust. "A-ah!" I felt her nails dig into my back as she released a breathless gasp. "I d-don't want t-to be too l-loud!" Yasaka stuttered underneath my various ministrations, her breathless voice arousing me even more than I was before.

"Then kiss me." My voice came out in a rough whisper and she quickly complied, her tongue instantly meeting mine as she let out muffled cry at my latest plunge. She bucked against me again. Moving the hand on her ass to her other breast, I slid the other hand to her waist to keep her steady as my hips acted as a piston, steady and continuous in my long thrusts. Kneading her other breast, I felt Yasaka place her hand over mine to help guide it. Our lips moved in an intense coordination as our tongues essentially fought for dominance, breaking apart in order to breathe.

"More…" She demanded of me breathlessly, quickly moving her hips in sync with mine, leaning her head back to let out muted whimper. I obliged her, moving my hips just a little faster as I felt my own crescendo nearing. Kissing her neck, I nipped and nibbled as I continued to knead her breast. Another breathless moan escaped her as she further wrapped her arms around me. My free arm wrapped around her waist and I silently turned us over, with my lying on my back while Yasaka sat atop me.

Her glazed eyes looked down at me, a hint of confusion in her lustful gaze. However, she quickly understood the change in position and began to carefully move her hips back and forth, allowing her to enjoy my full length as she released a ragged breath. A strained breath escaped me as I shut my eyes to feel the full experience. Yasaka closed her eyes tightly as rode me slowly at first, then beginning to slowly speed up. She squeezed the hand I kept on her breast and urged it to continue, which I obliged with a careful fervor.

I opened my eyes and watched her move on top of me, enraptured with the bounce of her breasts and listened the breathlessness of her beautiful voice, gradually losing myself in the moment, all while trying to remain as quiet as possible. When she leaned forward and captured my lips in another kiss, her hips still in motion, I returned it with abandon, feeling her long, golden blonde hair cascading over the both of us.

My hand slipped from her breast and landed on her waist, opposite of the other one, as I thrust in time with her movements. Yasaka moaned into the kiss and placed her hands on my bare chest, further aiding in her attempts to ride me effectively. My eyes squeezed shut tightly as I groaned in pleasure at her ministrations, fighting back the urge to climax so I could enjoy more of her. It did little to help as I could feel my peak nearing. "Almost there, Yasaka." I grunted out as I moved my own hips in time with her own.

Yasaka nodded absently, too lost in the heat of the moment to respond. Her face was flushed heavily as she looked down to me, leaning forwards to kiss me again. I sat up and met her halfway, adjusting our positions so that she was better straddling my lap, capturing her lips in one last kiss. Feeling my peak coming near, I placed a hand on the ground underneath me and used it as a balancing point to thrust my full length into her one last time as I felt her walls squeeze me tightly. Grunting into the kiss, I finally climaxed inside of her as Yasaka collapsed against me, her body falling limp.

Her long hair stuck to our mutually sweaty bodies as we broke the kiss, breathing deeply and gazing at each other lovingly. She lifted her arms and placed them on my shoulders, kissing me one last time. Upon breaking it, Yasaka hummed softly. "You…are not leaving home anymore, I hope you know that." She smirked at me, a familiar mischievous glint in her golden eyes as she looked into my eyes.

I let out a husky laugh, "If this is what I have to look forward to every day, then how can I complain?"

"Hmm…" She mused as she rested her head on my shoulder. "We get so lonely when you leave. It always feels so much longer than five days…"

I lifted a hand and brushed some of her hair out of her face. "I don't want to leave either, but…" I tried to find a reason why, one that I wouldn't scoff at. But…I couldn't. I couldn't find a legitimate reason as to why I had to go to Kuoh and not stay home beyond 'it's my duty'.

"I know." Yasaka said softly, smiling up to me, understanding clear in her gaze. "You're a soldier, Lyall. You'll always be driven to defend others. It's who you are; it's part of why I fell for you, after all." She finished with a haughty smirk, looking to me with a hint of challenge in her eyes.

I smiled faintly, "It's not everything about me, though. I know that if I don't do what I can in Kuoh, then the danger could reach here." I spoke softly, losing myself in the gold before my eyes.

"Well, we do have to protect Kunou." Yasaka said matter-of-factly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world, which it ultimately is. "But, you don't need to do it alone. I can help you. This marriage _is_ a partnership, you know." She scowled at me cutely, and I instantly knew where Kunou got her expressions from.

"Yeah, I know." I leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. Breaking away, I paused and cocked my head to the side. "I think I know a way to help Kunou with not being so lonely…"

Yasaka arched a delicate golden brow at me. "Oh?"

I felt a wide grin appear on my face. "We could give her a little brother or sister."

* * *

><p>Later, we were all outside in the streets, taking a brief morning walk. Walking between Yasaka and me, Kunou was grinning widely with her hands grasping both of ours. Mother and daughter were clad in their matching Shrine Priestess outfits while I wore a pair of blue jeans and a button up white shirt. Since it was still morning, there were few people milling about at the start of the day; being as well-known as the three of us, we were greeted and complimented by the various Yokai we passed by. Yasaka and I accepted the praise humbly whole Kunou sucked it all up with a wide, happy smile. Every so often, she would tug my hand and point to various parts of the old-looking town and tell me of the games she played.<p>

We then stopped by a small restaurant in Kyoto-proper and ordered breakfast, with Kunou still regaling us with stories of the pranks she pulled while I was gone, giggling at Yasaka's exasperated expression. I congratulated her when I heard of her successes, then scolded her properly for causing trouble. Though she still wasn't happy at being scolded, I did tell her the unique way she carried out the pranks were rather clever for a girl her age. Her mother gave an approving nod and response to my words, but said that if she wanted to find something to do while I was gone, and she was busy, then we could find out some other way for her to have fun.

As we spoke, Kunou looked excited at the prospect of something new to do and thanked the both of us, while also saying that wouldn't cause any more trouble. Of course, her mother took that very moment to bring something up.

"How did Kuroka react when you woke her up, Kunou?"

Kunou gave a sheepish grin. "Kuroka-nee-sama wasn't happy that I woke her up so early, but when I gave her the sad look you showed me, with my ears and tails drooping, she said sorry for getting mad."

I paused, blinked once, then regarded Yasaka with a tired look. "You're the one who taught her that." I said with a hint of realization in my tone. "_You_ taught Kunou how to act that way!"

"Ara?" Yasaka gave me a narrow-eyed smile. "I have no idea what you mean, Lyall."

I narrowed my eyes at her, grinning slightly. Then I looked to Kunou, "Kunou, can you tell your Papa if your Mama taught you the trick with the tails?"

"Un. Okaa-sama did." Kunou answered me, eager to please her father.

"Aha!" I grinned triumphantly as I saw Yasaka's pout. "I knew it! You should've known that Kunou was a Daddy's Girl!" I grabbed my daughter by her waist and placed on my lap. "You're getting a big dessert tonight, Kunou."

"Yay!" The little girl cheered as she turned and hugged me around the neck.

Yasaka narrowed her eyes at me, "Does that mean you're cooking, Lyall?" She asked knowingly and smiled when I froze at the loaded question. In all my years and travels, one of the few things that I have never been able to gain competence in was being able to cook. I could burn water. The fact that my lovely wife is an amazing cook only added to the probability of me ultimately falling for her. Seeing my defeated look, she smiled delightedly and turned to Kunou. "It'll be a small dessert, Kunou. Understand?" She gave the girl a stern look.

Kunou nodded dutifully to her lovely mother. "Hai, Okaa-sama…"

"You can have mine." I whispered in her ear, causing the girl to grin widely and giggle, to which Yasaka gave an exasperated sigh. With our breakfast finished, we gave our thanks to the waiter and the cook and left the restaurant, opting to head towards a small park in the area. Hefting my daughter upwards, I let her sit on my shoulders. I kept a hand on her leg to keep her in place as I felt her lean forward to stay upright. Kunou seemingly loved it as she giggled playfully, looking around at everything from a taller vantage point.

Her mother regarded us with a small smile, taking my hand as we walked. "It she seems that she loves being high up."

I grinned and chuckled lightly, "She must've got that from me. I can't tell you how many times I've slept in high places in my travels."

"Ne, ne, Otou-sama. What places have you been to?" Kunou asked me from her perch, having heard me speak of my adventures before.

Humming softly to myself, I tried to think of something kid-friendly. "I've been everywhere, Kunou." She gasped and reacted a way only a child could. "I've ridden horses through the English countryside and the Egyptian deserts. I scaled the Himalayas and went sky-diving into the Pacific Ocean." I paused and poked her in the side, getting to giggle in the midst of her childlike awe. "I even wrestled a lion once." I embellished playfully; I didn't exactly 'wrestle' one per se, more like play cat and mouse with it, where I was the mouse. Not very pleasant, I'll have to say.

"Really?!" Kunou said excitedly, squirming in her place on my shoulders. "Can you take me on your next adventure, Otou-sama? They sound really fun!"

For once, I was glad that I couldn't see the puppy look she would no doubt be giving me. Looking over to Yasaka, I saw that she had her expression schooled rather well, no doubt waiting on my answer. "Let's see…" I started carefully, it wouldn't due to crush her spirit, even if my adventures always proved to be rather dangerous. "How about we set it up this way, Kunou? When your mother thinks you're completely finished with all your training, then all three of us go on an adventure together."

I gave Yasaka a questioning glance just in time to see an accepting smile. "That sounds like something I could do. I have no problem agreeing with that statement." She looked up to Kunou and said, "Work hard, Kunou, and we'll go adventuring in no time." She gave our daughter a beautiful smile.

"I will, Okaa-sama! I'll master everything you teach me and we can go off and see the world!" Kunou declared excitedly, jumping up and down on my shoulders, forcing me to move in order to keep her balanced.

"Hey. Calm down now. I don't want you to fall." I rebuked her gently, poking her in the side to tickle her. She giggled and pushed my hand away. We reached the park in time see a few kids and their parents already there, talking and playing. Crouching, I lifted Kunou off of my shoulders and placed her on the ground. "Stay where we can see you, okay? We'll be on that bench over there." Kunou nodded and raced away, heading towards the park proper. With that, Yasaka and I walked over to the bench; I brushed the seat with my hand to clean it of leaves and other debris before allowing my wife to sit first, then I sat next to her.

As we sat in a companionable silence, watching over Kunou as she played with the other kids, Yasaka spoke up. "How goes everything with Aegis?"

I released a tired breath. "Slow going, to be honest. Trying to reach out to the other Factions, other than the Big Three, is tiresome as they each seem to have their own issues to resolve." Leaning back, I shook my head with a small laugh. "Funny thing is, the two Factions we have continuous correspondence with are the Norse Faction and the Carmilla Faction, of the Vampires." I frowned and sighed, "The Norse Faction isn't a problem, honestly, it's just a matter of finding the time to finalize the alliance. Once that is done, we'll have to choose someone from my Division to go there with Evanger."

"Why not Hajime?" Yasaka asked, causing me to give her a look. "He's your direct Disciple, is he not? You took it upon yourself to teach him nearly everything you know, and he's shown that he's skilled with diplomacy. If you yourself can't go, then he should be the next best thing."

I pursed my lips, looking back towards the park. "Yeah, there's that, but I don't want to overwhelm with too much too early. He still has the mission I just assigned him a few days ago and it's not good form to double up on missions this early in your time as an Aegis operative." A frown made its way onto my face. "It shows that you're far too eager and that can translate into excessive preemptive action."

Yasaka nodded, "I see… What of the Carmilla Faction?"

That one caused me to chuckle softly, "That one's a bit more…flimsy. As a whole, we cannot actively support one side of the Vampire Faction without it looking we prefer them over the other." I gave her a sideways look, "Politics. It's all politics. The Carmilla Faction and the Tepes Faction are both gender-dominated Factions within the larger Faction. Tepes refuses to acknowledge our entreaties and Carmilla refuses to accept a male ambassador." I crossed my arms and shook my head. "We could act discreetly and send someone over, but that could viewed as us aiding Carmilla in a possible attempt to take over Tepes by force. Even if that were the case, none of our experienced female operatives are available; all are either stuck on other missions or flat out refuse to do so."

"You can't exactly ask Jeanne to act, either, now can you?" Yasaka gave a sly smile, seeing me drop my head at that.

"Not really. She's not the ambassador type, primarily anyway." Then I snorted, "I wouldn't send her with Hajime, regardless. The boy's calm and collected on his own, perfectly capable of thinking carefully and retaining his composure. Throw Jeanne in the mix, however, and he starts acting out. She either prods him until he retaliates or he teases her endlessly." I sighed and shook my head. "Sometimes I wonder what caused that…"

Yasaka smiled fondly, "They care for one another, and you know that. They're able to bring the best out of one another, along with breaking the barriers the two set up around themselves."

"Yeah. Isn't that the truth…" I said as I lifted an arm and placed it behind Yasaka, feeling her lean onto me as we watching Kunou play happily with the other kids.

* * *

><p>Aegis, the name derived from Greek Mythology, is a Faction created by myself and my two friends, Auren and Evanger. We created it after witnessing the various acts of destruction within Humanity, both from outside sources and self-inflicted, and resolved to find a way to prevent it as much as we could. At first, we tried to do it all ourselves, but all that served to do was frustrate us as we could not be everywhere at once. Then we began to recruit from the populace, taking in those we felt would do well for the benefit of humanity.<p>

We started off small, training a select few in our select skills. At first, everything progressed with very little issue. Assigned missions were finished without trouble, there were few intergroup troubles and talent was abundant.

Unfortunately, some of the first generation lost themselves in the power they were given, going off the deep end and killing several of their former comrades before the three of us were forced to put them down. It hurt to watch what we created crumble underneath the broken resolve of one our own, but we persevered regardless.

Countless years passed as we took our next batch of trainees and trained them at a slower pace, incorporating a subtle teaching of ethics into our curriculum. We took the missions ourselves this time around, allowing the trainees to come into their skills over time. The process was far slower than before, but paid off tremendously. Over time, Aegis grew in scope and membership, more people coming forward that wanted to offer their skills for a monumental task.

The Faction grew to such an extent that various Divisions were created within Aegis to help give us a better way to organize our forces:

**Bastion**. The Division detailing those who utilized Magic and it's derivatives.

**Shield**. The Division housing those who specialize in Direct Combat, and all that encompasses it.

Finally, **Gate**. Which houses those who prefer Diplomacy and Stealth. They are open to talking out issues that can resolved without violence; in addition to those who specialize in subterfuge. When diplomacy fails, we will never fail to sabotage the enemy should a skirmish break out, thus limiting loss of life, for both sides if possible.

Auren leads Bastion, being the most accomplished spellcaster of us.

Evanger leads Shield, as he's the more physically built and stronger of us.

I lead Gate, due to my talent with the spoken word and willingness to break an enemy from the inside if there's no other way to prevent a fight. In addition, due to my experience and skill with subterfuge, I can spot a spy from a mile away. Any chances of an infiltrator from other Factions joining Aegis, I simply leave them be, feeding them false information and letting them flounder when they realize their mistakes.

Anyone is free to join Aegis; not just humans. Though the goal is to defend Humanity, Aegis is accepting of any possible recruit no matter what they wish to protect, or even if they want to find a reason to live.

Our duty is to ensure peace.

Our strength is our resolve.

And our desire is peaceful cohabitation.

But no matter our desires, there are always those who want nothing more than to watch the world burn…


	3. Divvying Duties

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing; however that doesn't mean I'm not petitioning for ownership. I just need signatures… lots of signatures. Sign, please? Please?

**A/N:** _Well, this chapter came out a bit later due to school being a bit busier. Not much to say on that front, so I'll move on from it._

_In this fic, OC's will be used, but on a more sparing matter. Aegis is an entirely separate Faction in the DxD verse and there are more than three members, so they'll act as individuals who act in the background. There will be changes in canon, as to which characters join different Factions. _

_Credit for the OC's go to bamafelix._

_Translation: Shirei = Commander_

_Not much else to say, so I'll just let the fic continue on._

_Harem Lists:_

_-Issei: Rias Gremory; Asia Argento; Irina Shidou; Xenovia; Koneko Toujou; Le Fay Pendragon; Aika Kiryuu; Bennia; Ophis;_

_-Hajime: Akeno Himejima; Ravel Phenex; Jeanne; Kuroka; Raynare; Rossweisse; Kiyome Abe; Sona Sitri; Serafall;_

_Anyway! _

_Read/review/Enjoy!_

**Humanity's Aegis**

Chapter Three

Divvying Duties

**The Disciple**

I relaxed back into my seat, releasing a small breath. Placing my pencil on the desk, I entwined my fingers and cracked them in order to relieve the pressure in my knuckles. "I hate writing reports." I muttered to myself, shaking my head with a sigh. "Especially when I haven't even finished the mission. Those operatives in Kuoh Academy better appreciate what I'm doing for them…" I got up from the desk and strode out of the study, rolling my shoulders to loosen them up a bit.

The house Shishou got Jeanne and I was a two story house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, a living room and kitchen. The latter three, and a bathroom, were on the first floor, while the rest was on the second floor. It was relatively modest and completely unassuming, so no one would ever think that it housed the Disciple of the infamous Hunter and his partner. Regardless, it fit the needs we had in giving us a place to plan and strategize for future missions and decompress after an annoying one.

It was the next day and we were still organizing everything within the house. The generic, house-related items, furniture and stuff like that, were already in place when we arrive, but there were still items that we had to stash all over the place. There were several hidden panels and doors scattered throughout the building, where we could hide weapons and armor in case of a possible attack; there was even an underground addition to the house, though it was more of an armory.

"Haji-kun, did you do what you set out to do?" Jeanne asked as she sifted through the box of items sitting on the coffee table.

I nodded and dropped down onto the couch next to her. "Yeah, I just sent them messages to meet me on the roof during lunch break on Monday." I reached forward and opened the laptop gifted to me for completing my training. Turning it on, I opened up some documents, which was basic information on my cover and the operatives placed in Kuoh Academy. In addition, I looked over the info for my current mission.

"What is it?" Jeanne asked as she threw an arm around my shoulders and rested a head on my shoulder, her blonde hair brushing against my face.

"Gathering info for the rest of the mission." I explained softly as my finger flew across the keyboard. My eyes flitted along the various lines of explanatory dialogue detailing the specifics of my reason for coming back to Kuoh.

Jeanne made a slight sound as she watched the screen as well. "What's the plan for Monday?"

"We'll leave for Kuoh Academy relatively early to turn in our paperwork. That'll serve to put us in the Student Council's good graces; you'll be escorted into your class and simply participate. In the meantime, I'll request a tour of the school, if it's plausible. If not, then I'll ask if I can wander, with the promise of staying out of the way." I paused and leaned back, crossing my arms. My partner then decided to lean into my side, resting her chin on my shoulder to watch me closely. "I'll then use the day to meet others and make connections in order to create a positive standing within Kuoh."

She hummed softly, "It seems simple enough. Though what happens if they won't let you explore the school?"

I crossed my arms and gave a small frown. "If that's the case, then I'll put what Shishou taught me to use." I smirked at her, "You of all people know how good I am with masking my presence. That, in addition to Carnwennan, will keep me hidden from all of the Devils in Kuoh Academy."

Jeanne giggled, "So confident, Haji-kun." Then she gave me a serious look, which looked rather strange on her normally happy expression. "But remember what Shishou has told us: 'a plan never survives contact with the enemy'. You can't afford to be too cocky."

"The Devils aren't our enemy, Jeanne." I answered patiently, but nodded to her point. "Hell, the Fallen Angels aren't our enemy, just people who are being manipulated by someone with more political, and overall, power than they have." I released a breath and crossed my arms. "The problem at the moment is figuring just _who_ our true enemy currently is. Shishou refuses to tell me anything, just telling me to focus on the missions I get."

"Whatever it is, it's must be super-important if Shishou isn't telling us anything." Jeanne mused to herself just as much as to me. Then she released a sudden breath, pushing her weight onto me as she nuzzled her cheek into my shoulder. "I wonder how everything's going to go on Monday…"

I shrugged the shoulder she wasn't leaning on. "Don't know. All we can do is hope for the best and at least prepare for the worst…"

* * *

><p>Monday came relatively quickly as I stepped into the living room. Jeanne was smoothing out her uniform when I stepped off of the last step of the stairs. She murmured and muttered to herself as she turned around in front of a mirror. Fluffing the shoulder cape, she adjusted the ribbon and flapped her skirt subtly. My gaze unconsciously tracked the upwards of the skirt and caught sight of her blue and black striped panties.<p>

"Ah, Haji-kun! How do I look?" Jeanne asked me when she noticed my presence, giving me a playful twirl.

I gave her a genuine smile and replied, "Cute." She blushed at my praise, looking pleased with herself. "Though, I'm sure all it'll take is a gentle breeze to give everyone a peek at your panties." I continued dryly, offering her a playful smirk.

She gave me a sly look, batting her eyelashes as she replied. "Would you be jealous if other guys saw my panties, Haji-kun?" Jeanne asked me playfully, trying tease me with her words.

I snorted, crossing my arms. "Why should I be jealous? If anyone tried anything, you'd shove one of your many swords where sun doesn't shine." Seeing her giving me a pout, I released a breath, "But, yeah, I'd probably be peeved that someone else saw you, Jeanne. You're _my_ partner, Jeanne." I said to her, a hint of subtle possessiveness in my tone I regarded her intently, my arms crossed as I leaned against the wall.

Jeanne smiled demurely, the blush on her cheeks as she regarded me. "Nice to know I'm appreciated…" She said softly, but before anymore could be said, she quickly turned back to the mirror. Giving her reflection one last look, she nodded and said, "I'm ready! Let's head out team!" Pointing the door, she grabbed her bag and marched with a purpose.

The Monday morning air tasted well as we walked towards the school proper. It was still early in the morning when we left, so the traffic on the walkways to school were rather bare. Jeanne was skipping playfully while humming to herself, with me trailing behind her a foot and a half. I, on the other hand, simply had my hands in my pockets while fondly shaking my head at her exuberance. As she led, I lazily checked my surroundings, once again having that feeling of being watched. While that in particular wasn't an alien feeling to me, I didn't particularly find it pleasant, to be honest.

"Haji-kun! Look! There's the school!" Jeanne caught my attention with a playful laugh, pointing towards Kuoh Academy's campus.

Kiyome was indeed right. It was beautiful.

Striding through the open gate with Jeanne, we were treated to the sight of several students looking towards us. Countless whispers began to sound around us as we stepped into the campus proper. Jeanne slowed to walk at my side, her normal expressive smile widening ever so lightly as she listened to what her future classmates were talking about.

"Who are they?"

"The girl is wearing a uniform. Do you think they're new students?"

"Oh, he's cute. I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"She's hot! I hope she's single."

"Are they together?"

"Doesn't that guy look familiar?"

Those were only _some_ of the murmured whisperings going on around us. That caused me to frown subtly. This would make it difficult for me to remain inconspicuous over the course of the day. However, it wouldn't discourage me in the least; hell, I'd take it as a challenge. How long can I avoid the gawking crowd that's basking in my masculinity? As long as I damn well please, that's what.

Jeanne giggled playfully, both at the people whispering about us and the expression I couldn't keep from coming onto my face. "Looks like everyone likes us, Haji-kun."

I rolled my eyes at that, a small smirk coming on my face when I took in her playful smile. While I wanted to pull something that would cause a bit of chaos, I do have to make a good first impression. Shishou did tell us that the Student Council President, Souna Shitori, or rather Sona Sitri, was a stickler for the rules. Pulling a prank like kissing Jeanne in front of everyone to strike them into silence would only cause her to be less likely to work with us. Even if Jeanne would be willing.

"Let's just go." I said with a heavy sigh, motioning her to follow with a subtle wave of my hand. She giggled at my reaction and skipped up to my side, wrapping her arms around one of mine and snuggling against my side. Giving her an arched eyebrow look, she gave me a mischievous smile as we began to hear the whispering around us becoming more pronounced and excited. Resting her head on my shoulder, she walked right next to me with her roguish grin. "You're just trying to exhaust me, aren't you?"

"Heh~. What's wrong, Haji-kun? You don't like it when a cute girl like me holds onto you?" She attempted to tease me, drumming her fingers along my bicep.

"When you're doing it to aggravate everyone around us, I can't help but feel a little…exasperated." I said with a deadpan tone, shaking my head with a small smile. Jeanne giggled at my words, but said nothing as we walked inside of the school building. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a sheet of paper and looked it over. Nodding my head, I lead the two of us further into the school and up the stairs to the second floor. As we headed to the Student Council Room, Jeanne finally broke away from me, though she still stayed rather close to my side. Upon reaching the door to the room, I looked to my partner and nodded to her; she responded with a nod as well, a serious expression on her face, a miracle in and of itself.

Lifting a hand, I knocked twice on the door and stepped back to make space between the door and me. It wasn't a full fifteen seconds that passed before a young woman with shoulder-length blue hair with grey-blue eyes clad in Kuoh Academy's female uniform opened the door and said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, we're here to turn in paperwork for a transfer." I said as the two of us lifted our folders, each holding various signed documents.

The girl nodded and said, "Ah, yes. Please come in. Kaichou is away at the moment, but she'll return in no time." She stepped to the side and allowed us to walk inside. Closing the door behind us, the girl walked passed us and motioned towards a pair of chairs next to a table at the side of the room. "You can sit over there while you wait." I nodded my thanks to her while Jeanne raced ahead with an excited gait.

As I walked over to the couch, I took notice of the others in the room, along with the first girl. There were four other girls, each wearing the school uniform and either engrossed in the paperwork on their desks or regarding Jeanne and I with curious glances. The first girl I noticed was a younger looking girl with light brown hair done in twin-tails with a pair of green hair clips. Her green eyes regarded me with a hint of curiosity before she went back to her work.

The second had long brown hair in a pair of braids with a blue hairband. Her brown eyes didn't look up from her desk as she looked to be rather engrossed in the book that she held in her hands, turning the pages carefully.

The third girl had long white hair and blue-green eyes, reading a sheet of paper and writing on another as she mumbled to herself.

The last was a girl with shoulder-length red-brown hair and brown eyes.

I took the seat next to Jeanne and leaned back with a sigh. Closing my eyes, I crossed my arms and let my head fall forward to rest for a bit.

"What year are you transferring into?" The same girl who let us in asked us the question.

"Second year." Jeanne answered, a smile clearly present in her voice.

"College branch." I answered politely, opening my eyes to regard the girl.

She looked towards me when I gave my answer. "Really?" At my nod, she gave a verbal response. Nodding, she said, "Well, let me be the first to welcome you both to Kuoh Academy. I'm Tsubasa Yura, by the way."

"Hajime Hyoudou."

"Jeanne Wolfe!" She answered with a wide, proud smile.

Her name caused her Tsubasa's eyes to widen. "You're related to Wolfe-sensei?"

Jeanne nodded, "Yeah. His parents adopted me when I was younger, so I'm his little sister." She even opened her bag and began to sift through it, as if looking for something. Then she made an affirmative sound and pulled out a photo, holding it out so that I could be seen. It was a picture of Shishou, in an outfit that helped with keeping his cover, along with Yasaka, Kunou, Jeanne and myself all standing in front of a shrine. Kunou was sitting on Shishou's shoulders while poking at my head with a wide smile and I was giving her an entertained smirk. Shishou was standing hand in hand with Yasaka, who was smiling demurely; Jeanne was on Yasaka's opposite side, her hand lifted in a 'V' sign while grinning widely. "See?"

Tsubasa's eyes flickered to Jeanne, then instantly went to Kunou. Her eyes went to Shishou, Yasaka before finally landing on me. "Well, don't all of you look like a happy family?" She said with a faint smile.

Jeanne beamed, pulling her hand back. "Yeah, Connor's always really fun. I can't wait to see him again, it's been so long."

"Wolfe-sensei's a really good teacher." A second person entered the conversation, the brunette with the two braids in her hair. "The way he introduces, analyzes, the different literary works we go over in class is really simple to follow." She paused and gave a polite smile. "I'm Kusaka Reya."

"That's good, because English and Literature are my worst subjects." Jeanne scratched the back of her sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes at her with a playful smirk. "That's because you're too hyperactive to sit still and _read_." My statement caused her to stick her tongue at in retaliation. I simply groaned and shook my head at her childishness, feeling too entertained at her for my own good.

The brunette chuckled, "Hyoudou-san, I heard you were entering the college branch. What're you studying?"

"Tactics and stratagems utilized during the various warring periods over the course of history." I answered honestly, as I really did find those things interesting. Especially considering I could use them, or renditions of the various strategies, during my hopefully long tenure in Aegis. "My minor is also psychology." I added absently, shrugging lightly.

Tsubasa was about to respond, but the door was suddenly opened, which lead to five people walking inside. A familiar masculine voice caught my attention as I listened in, "…Genshirou Saji as a possible new addition to the Student Council? He does relatively well in my class, and others, so I see no problem with giving him extra responsibility." Shishou's voice carried easily as I listened to his muted steps.

"I see…" A response met his statement. "I'll approach him within the week."

Tsubasa turned and regarded the person around corner, bowing her head to her. "Kaichou, the transfers have arrived."

"Really? Where are they?"

Before she could respond, Jeanne and I stood and peeked around the corner. A slender young woman with her short black hair in a bob and a severe look behind a pair of glasses looked the two of us. Next to her stood a much taller, and more physically developed, young woman with knee length black hair and heterochromic eyes behind a pair of half-rimmed glasses.

Jeanne stepped up and lifted a hand, smiling widely. "Hi! I'm Jeanne Wolfe and I'm transferring in as a Second Year." She held out her information to the shorter of the two.

The girl with the bob cut regarded her with a critical, studying, gaze and took the folder. "Hello, Wolfe-san, and welcome to Kuoh Academy. I'm Souna Shitori, the Student Council President and this is Tsubaki Shinra, my Vice President." The taller girl at her left flank nodded once. Sona opened the folder and began to examine its contents.

As she did that, I discretely studied the newcomers, making sure that I remained unnoticed, even as I stood next to Jeanne. Souna Shitori…Sona Sitri is clearly the heiress of the Sitri Clan, rank Prince, of the 72 Pillars. She clearly runs a tight ship if how the organization of this room detailed what type of person she was. There was not a single thing out of place, with everything put in its proper spot; even her Servants were working diligently, even watching Jeanne and me subtly while they did the work on their desks. There was even a subtle undercurrent of power in the room, though the pair who had just arrived were the strongest of the Peerage, being the…King and Queen. Clearly, a tactic/technique heavy group.

The pair standing behind them, however, clearly gave off a more 'raw power' feel to their abilities. From the way the redhead led the ravenette, she was clearly the King. Rias Gremory, the heiress of the Gremory Clan, rank Duke. She had the look of an exotic beauty, with long, thigh-length, crimson red hair and sea-green eyes with an amused glint present in them. Standing behind her, at her right flank, was a young woman of a similar age to her with very long black hair, tied into a ponytail with an orange ribbon, which still managed to fall well below her knees. The both of them had figures that most girls their age would kill for and men would die to hold.

My opinions shall remain undisclosed until I can ascertain whether or not they'll end up as a reluctant allies or, at a worst case scenario, enemies. Not a pleasant thought, but one can never be too sure.

My gaze flicked to the last individual, 'Connor Wolfe'. Real name, Lyall, and my Shishou, currently undercover as a teacher in Kuoh Academy. Ever since he, Evanger and Auren founded and created Aegis, they've kept their true identities secret from all of the other Factions. In the beginning, it was simple for him, according to Shishou, but as they began to take a more active stance in their goals, there have been several individuals from several Factions trying to find out who they were. All attempts, both lethal and harmless, ended in failure and, sometimes, embarrassment for the opposing parties.

While it was a group effort amongst the three of them, it was mostly due to Shishou's ability with stealth and subterfuge that he was able to prevent others from discovering who each of them were. He has yet to tell me exactly how old he really is, but for him to be able to maneuver perfectly right under the nose of several important individuals from other Factions just goes to show how experienced he really.

Then again, when you're hiding from a group of teenagers, it's not really that surprising.

"Hmm, I see. I do remember seeing your information pass my desk a few weeks ago." Sona mused as flipped through the papers once more, before closing them and handing them to Tsubaki. "Wolfe-sensei, Wolfe-san is going to be in your Homeroom class. Can you take her with you while I speak with the second transfer?"

He nodded to Sona, "I don't see why not. Just let me finish what I came here to do…" Stepping away from the wall, he approached a desk and wrote something down on a sheet of paper. Then he motioned for Jeanne to follow. "Let's go. Can't be late for your first day."

"Hai!" Jeanne said with a wide grin, before turning to me and saying, "Meet up for lunch?"

I nodded to her, "Yeah. I'll find you, so don't worry." She beamed again and took off after Shishou. As he left though, he caught my eyes with a subtle twitch of his brow. Nodding discretely, I watched as he left the room without another word. Turning my attention back to Sona, I lifted my folder and held it out to her. "Here's my transfer info. I'm Hajime Hyoudou; the college division is what I'm transferring into."

Upon hearing my name, I couldn't but notice a spark of recognition of the Rias's eyes. She cleared her throat and approached me slowly. "Hello, Hyoudou-san, I'm Rias Gremory. What are you studying?"

"History, in regards to the strategy and tactics of warfare." My answer caused Sona to give a second look, curiosity evident. In addition, the others in the room also gave me a questioning gaze.

"That's a rather broad topic, Hyoudou-san." Sona said carefully, studying me closely. "Anything specific?"

I paused, crossing my arms and I thought for a moment. "Tactics from before the advent of gunpowder." I started off carefully, meeting Sona's critical gaze. "While I do see the benefits of it, I've always found the use of modern firearms to be…far too simple. Yes, you can end an engagement with a simple point and shoot, but the real triumph comes from succeeding with just the organization of your forces." I smiled lightly, crossing my arms as I gave my answer.

As Sona simply studied me, her eyes narrowing subtly, it was Rias who replied. "You sound enthusiastic about it, that's for sure." She gave me a soft smile. "Do you have any experience with other weapons, then?"

My eyes flickered to Rias as I shrugged, "I've dabbled here and there. Not much to note to be honest." I can't let everyone I meet know about my skills. I need to keep some things secret to surprise my future opponents after all. That caused her to frown with clear disappointment.

"Do you do strategy games, or the like, to practice your mind?" Sona inquired, her eyes narrowing to study me intently.

"As I've said, I've dabbled here and there." I had to fight off the smirk that threatened to appear on my face as I couldn't help but catch the subtle frown that appeared on her face. It's times like this that I love to mess with people for my amusement; seeing their reactions are just so funny!

The frown still present on her face, she returned to look back to my folder. Nodding once, she strode over to her desk and placed the folder on it. "Tsubaki, can you find Hyoudou-san's schedule? There's something I want to do first." Her Vice President nodded and walked over to one of the file cabinets. Sona, on the other hand, opened a drawer in her desk and pulled a case out, placing it on the desk.

Rias, upon seeing that, released a small laugh. "Oh, Souna…"

"Hyoudou-san, while we wait for classes to start, would you like to play a game of chess?" Sona asked me directly, her voice careful and measured.

"Ufufu, ara ara, Kaichou, what are planning on doing?" The ravenette said with a hand in front of her mouth, smiling faintly.

Arching an eyebrow at her, I watched as Sona pulled out a rather expensive looking chess set. "While I do wonder where this is coming from, I don't mind playing." I walked over to her desk and looked down at the chess set.

"Black or white?"

"I've always been the type to watch and wait. You can go first."

* * *

><p>For the first time in I don't know how long, I felt mentally drained. Accepting Sona's invitation to play chess proved to be a rather…exhausting to be honest. It's been far too long since I lost thought as deeply as I did than when I played her. Granted, I didn't lose, but neither did she; the beginning, I believe I surprised her, playing on a level she didn't expect. However, that did <em>not<em> last long at all. Within a few moves, she clearly began to take me seriously. It was at that point that we began to match each other move for move, disrupting whatever plans we tried to formulate. For fuck's sake, it was like playing Auren when he was deciding to be facetious.

Though, I was honestly surprised at the sheer intensity that _everyone_ in the Student Council room exuded when they began watching the chess game that Sona and I were playing. I didn't react to their presences until _after_ the game had ended, but when I noticed how close everyone was, it took all of my self-control not react as if my person was being threatened. I was so engrossed in the game that I had failed to notice everything around me. At the same time, though, I had to actually put everything I had in order to play to win.

Regardless of that, if Shishou knew that I sacrificed my spatial awareness for a simple game of _chess_, he'd start a training session to just beat some sense into my head. Hopefully, no one says anything; even after a decade of training under the man, he could still kick my ass like I was blind, deaf and dumb.

"That was a rather intense game of chess you played with Kaichou, Hyoudou-kun." My current escort, the ravenette from before, who introduced herself as Akeno Himejima, spoke up as she walked at my side. "Not many people can say that they've tied with her."

I chuckled lightly, "I can see why. Shitori-kaichou knows that game well."

Akeno laughed at my breathless sigh, clearly enjoying my temporary loss of composure from the tiring chess game. "She was undefeated, before now that is."

"So was I." Among my peers, that is.

She gave me a measuring gaze, but didn't reply, simply smiling softly. The two of us walked through the halls of Kuoh, during one a study hall that some of the Third Years had. Rias was still back at the Student Council, clearly looking as though she wanted to speak with Sona.

"Where's first on this tour, Himejima-san?" I started us off, after recomposing myself.

Akeno placed a finger on her chin. "Hm, you've already seen the Student Council room…so the best place to start would be from the entry hall." With that, she led me through the halls and to the aforementioned area. The tour itself didn't take that long to be honest, and we weren't even rushing. Akeno showed me the different floors, casually describing that they were designated to each year. Then we went around the campus itself, walking leisurely along the paths. There were other students milling about as well, and, as if drawn like a moth to the flame, their gazes reached us and they began to whisper conspiratorially. I kept my expression blank, but couldn't help the twitch of my eyebrow. Akeno clearly caught it, a small giggle escaping her.

"Does this happen often?"

"I'm afraid so."

It took all of my practiced discipline to not release a pained groan, but it proved to be futile to Akeno, who simply giggled in response to my well-concealed chagrin. "It's not that funny, I assure you." I said to her in a complete deadpan as we walked along the path.

"Oh, I don't know about that, Hyoudou-kun." Akeno tittered behind a hand, regarding me with an entertained glance.

Shaking my head at her, I simply let her lead me through the school once more and let her point out more parts of the school, from the various sports fields, to the relatively new attachments to the building. When we passed what looked like an older building that happened to be hidden from sight by a collection of trees. It had a Victorian Era type appeal that felt…refreshingly ominous. "What is this building for?"

Seemingly surprised at my question, Akeno replied, "That's the old school building. It's the meeting place for the Occult Research club."

"Huh. I've always had a preference towards the Occult to be honest…"

"Oh? Really?" Akeno said appraisingly, her gaze studying me intently

I shrugged and crossed my arms, "Yeah. If only the real world had things like the supernatural in it, then it wouldn't be so boring." I said softly, musing to myself more than speaking to Akeno. Smirking lightly, I looked to Akeno, "Any chance I could join?"

Akeno gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Rias, the Buchou of the club, is the one who chooses if you join."

"It's fine. So, where next?"

* * *

><p>Lunch came rather quickly and Akeno left me to my own devices. I reached the roof within moments, slipping passed people so that they wouldn't notice me, though I did hear the occasional student talking about the 'mysterious new guy' that appeared with the 'cute blonde girl'. Rolling my eyes, I reached the roof within moments and realized that it was empty, thankfully. Walking over to the center of the roof, I pocketed my hands and looked over the edge of the building, while still making sure I wasn't noticed. Releasing a breath, I looked to the sky and simply began waiting.<p>

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long as I heard the door to the roof open. Turning my head, I looked over my shoulder to see who had arrived.

The first was an unassuming young woman dressed in the Kuoh Academy female school uniform, though she wore black combat boots instead of the proffered slippers. She had medium-length black hair, tucked neatly behind her ears, and regarded me with intense, dark green eyes. A polite smile graced her features as she caught sight of me. She had a slender frame with subtle feminine curves. Her name was Miyako Kurasaki.

The second was a girl of a similar age, though she had a wide grin present on her face. She wore the school's uniform, completely unchanged, and had shoulder-length black hair, her bangs parted, with graying-brown eyes. The girl had a willowy frame with modest proportions for a girl of her age and stature. Her name was Inori Aizawa.

The third had the appearance of an effeminate young man. 'He' wore the Kuoh Academy male uniform. 'His' long black hair was tied up into a ponytail with a purple ribbon and 'his' eyes are a chocolate brown. Though 'he' wears the male uniform, I know that 'he' is actually a 'she', whose name is Natsu Takaoka.

The last person to step onto the roof was the oldest-looking of the group. He has russet, reddish, with his bangs falling over one of his heterochromic eyes, which are red, left, and blue, right. He had the look of a combination between rugged and bishounen, something that confused Jeanne and I to no end. Shishou simply shrugged it off, calling the two of us crazy, and went along with it. Regardless, he appeared to be an unassuming Third Year, the only one among the group of Second Years. His name was Kazuya Uryuu.

Turning around completely, I faced the undercover Aegis operatives and pulled my hands out of my pockets. "I see all of you got my message." I started off the impromptu meeting with a blunt statement.

Inori giggled, "You're popular, Taichou." Arching an eyebrow at her, I gave her a questioning glance. Her grin widened as she explained, "Everyone on campus can't stop talking about you and Jeanne ever since you arrived."

Miyako's smile vanished as it was quickly replaced with a scowl. "It's getting tiresome to be honest. There are far too many gossip hounds in this damn school."

Kazuya chuckled lightly, "You'd think a member of Gate would love something like that. It'd make your job easier." When Miyako threw a glare his way, he lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture.

I smiled at that, but turned my attention to Natsu. "Takaoka-san, what's on your mind?"

'He' regarded me with a studying gaze. "If you're here, Hyoudou-taichou, then does that mean that Hunter is here as well?" That caused everyone else to stand at attention, regarding me intently as they waited for the answer.

To the newer members of Aegis, the three leaders, Auren, Evanger and Lyall, are basically legends, as they've never seen or met any of them. Considering the fact that the first is basically a hermit who stays in his personal Ivory Tower, giving important information when it's pertinent and important, the second is constantly traveling across the world, recruiting newcomers and fighting an occasional threat, and the third is basically a wraith who's seemingly disappeared from the world altogether, people are immensely curious as to who their leaders are. They still aid the organization, but they speak through specific individuals and give out orders through very safe and thorough channels, so they're still relevant.

The fact that I'm Lyall's personal Disciple has made me an important figure in Aegis, something that is both positive and negative in many aspects. Positive, because I'm practically guaranteed a high rank in Aegis, I've met the other two leaders, and, obviously, I've been trained by one of the world's strongest Humans. The negative, on the other hand, I'm going to become well-known in the Supernatural world quite soon when my status as Lyall's Disciple becomes common knowledge. Since Shishou's identity is unknown, that'll make a rather large target for Aegis' enemies, which will force me to stay at my best in order to stay alive and unharmed. In addition, I'll have additional pressure put on my shoulders to succeed, since I will be carrying Shishou's reputation as well.

"Yeah, Shishou is here." I said to them, a smile playing at my lips.

Inori jumped up and down, excitement present on her features. "Really?! Where? Who is he?"

I lifted my hands to calm her. "I can't tell you." That caused her to stop and pout, but she quickly bounced back, grinning up a storm. "He has his mission and we have ours."

"What is it, Hyoudou-taichou?" Natsu inquired, her expression schooled perfectly and arms crossed.

"As you know, this town under the jurisdiction of the Gremory and Sitri Clans." That caused them to nod. "As such, they protect this town from all manner of attackers, _if_ such a thing were to occur." I paused and regarded the four of them seriously. "What do all of you of the Church on the outskirts of the city?"

"It's abandoned." Kazuya answered. "Why do you ask?"

"It's currently being used a base for a group of four Fallen Angels and a _merry_ band of Rogue Exorcists." I said with a faint smirk, seeing a spark of interest in Miyako's eyes.

She crossed her arms, regarding me carefully. "I see. What are we to do?"

"As of this moment, nothing. The four Fallen Angels have yet to act in earnest to achieve their objective; with that in mind, until they begin to act, all of your immediate duties will be to scout your designated areas with the city." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out four photos, which were of the four Fallen Angels I had encountered on Friday. "Memorize their faces. Keep your senses sharp. I doubt they'll change their appearances with magic, being low level Fallen ones, what with having only one pair of wings. Do not take them lightly." They each took one of the photos, holding them out for all of them to study. "Unless it's a Stray Devil, do not let them harm anyone. While they have a specific target, I don't want to take any chances. Same goes for any Stray Exorcists. You have my permission to use lethal force if necessary."

"Who is their target?" Kazuya asked as he handed a photo back to me.

Taking it back, I answered him succinctly. "Issei Hyoudou."

That caused quite a few differing reactions from the four of them. Kazuya let out an entertained snort, a small smile playing at his lips as he crossed his arms and shook his head. Inori giggled behind her hand, handing me the photo back. Miyako frowned severely, clicking her tongue as she looked off to the side, as if searching for something in the distance. Natsu threw all of her impassivity out of the window and scowled deeply.

She was the one who replied first. "Why _him_, Hyoudou-taichou?"

"First, lay off him a bit. He's my little brother." I said with a faint hint of exasperation, a playful smirk playing at my lips.

"It wouldn't be so bad if he was actually a bit like you." Miyako gave me a faint glare. "But, no, he's a raging pervert with very little self-control. I've had to drag him and his idiot friends away from every spot they've tried to peek."

Kazuya chuckled, "I don't know, I like the kid. He makes things interesting."

"You just think him and his friends getting smacked around by the Kendo club is hilarious." Miyako grunted in a deadpan; Kazuya simply gave her a shrug, neither disputing nor accepting her words.

"Anyway…" I cut in, to finish my explanation. "We have reason to believe that Issei may have a powerful Sacred Gear. _That_ is the reason he's being targeted." Pausing, I took in their reactions and continued, "As such, if you happen to see Issei in your designated areas, and I'm not with him, I'll need to keep an eye on him from afar. I can't impress upon you the importance of keeping the Fallen Angels from killing him." I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. "Otherwise, I don't know what I'll do."

Inori nudged me on the side, with a playful grin. "Aw, Taichou sure cares about his baby brother, doesn't he?"

"Even though, the brother does happen to be an annoying idiot…" Natsu muttered under her breath as she released a breath. "Is that everything, Taichou?"

I nodded to her, "Yeah, it is. But stay ready, because I'm going to call on all of you when I decide to storm the abandoned Church." I smirked as I crossed my arms, looking to each of them. "You all look like you're going stir crazy, sitting around and doing nothing. I figure you'd all like a few Stray Exorcists to smack around."

Miyako snorted, "I highly doubt that they'll be a problem, but I thank you for your concern." She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Turning, she lifted a hand and began to walk away, waving it as she left through the door. With that, the rest of them soon began to leave as well, offering their farewells and hopes for the mission to go well.

After all of them completely, I released a breath and ruffled my hair lightly. "It's exhausting, doing this leader thing…" Shrugging, I walked to the door. "I wonder what type of bento Jeanne made?"

* * *

><p><strong>The Hunter<strong>

I stood on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, offering tentative goodbyes to my family. Kunou was standing in front of Yasaka, looking up to me with a watery eyes as I was crouched in front of her. "I don't get why you have to go so far to work, Otou-sama…" She pouted as she squeezed the stuffed fox she held a security blanket.

Placing a hand on her head, I gave her a sad smile. "I know, but it's something I have to do." Poking her in the side, I managed to get a giggle out of her. "Do you know why?" I asked her playfully.

Kunou gave me a wide smile. "Un! Otou-sama is a Hero! You save the world so that you can come back home as fast as you can." She placed a hand on her hip and puffed out her chest in pride.

"That's right." I said with a small laugh. "So, while I'm out saving the world, I want you to do your Papa a favor."

"What?" She asked me, her voice a low whisper as she regarded me conspiratorially.

Leaning forward, I smiled widely, "I need you to be the best daughter you can be for your Mama while I'm gone. If you are, then I'll do something extra special for you, 'kay?"

Impossibly, Kunou's eyes widened and sparkled as she nodded her head quickly. "Un! I'll do my best, Otou-sama!"

I grinned and pulled her into a sudden embrace. "I know you will, Kunou." Kissing on the top of her head, I let her go. "Now, I have to say bye to your Mama. Wish me luck." Kunou giggled and leaned forward, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I grinned and ruffled her hair, causing her to puff her cheeks and give me a childish glare as she tried to fix her golden blonde locks. Standing, I turned my attention to Yasaka.

"You know, it's not nice to leave your loving wife's side every week." Yasaka said offhandedly, placing a hand on her cheek. "Your absence just makes me want you here more."

Not caring about the presence of everyone else on the platform, I leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. Slowly breaking the kiss, I gave her a playful smirk. "I'll ask Auren to lend me a teleportation amulet. He owes me for the last mission I took anyway."

Yasaka smiled lightly, her cheeks flushed lightly. "I'll be sure to send him something as thanks."

With that, I looked into her eyes and she into mine. We didn't speak any words, only allowing the way we felt for one another convey everything that needed to be said. Giving her one last kiss, I whispered, "I'll be back." She nodded as I stepped back and picked up my bag. "Kuroka, let's go. If I leave you here, you'll probably go stir crazy; that or frustrate Yasaka to no end."

"Nya! How do you always where I am, nya!?" A young woman with a voluptuous figure appeared next to me, clad in a black kimono, a yellow obi and set of dark blue sandals. She wore an ornate headband on her head, though her wavy black hair remained long enough to still reach her waist. Her hazel eyes were narrowed as she gave me a half-hearted glare combined with a pout.

I regarded her with a half-lidded gaze. "You're _far_ too inexperienced to catch me off guard, Kuroka."

She crossed her arms under her chest and turned her chin away from me. "Ano…Kuroka-nee-sama…" Kuroka turned her gaze to a timid Kunou, poking her index fingers together. "I'm sorry I woke you up early on Saturday…"

Kuroka's pout quickly changed to a wide smile as she crouched down next to Kunou. "It's no problem, Kunou-chin, nya. Your Baba simply wanted to mess with me, nya."

Yasaka scoffed, giving her a glare. "I would prefer it if you didn't insinuate that I fell to your level, feline."

The black-haired Nekoshou looked to the older Kitsune, narrowing her eyes. "Insinuate, nya! I know for a fact that it was your doing, nya! Kunou-chin would never lie to her Nee-chan!"

My wife simply waved her off, "You presume too much, Kuroka. Kunou has an older sibling in Hajime, not you. You're far too uncouth to be family to my precious daughter."

Kuroka gave her a haughty smirk, standing up as she crossed her arms under her bust, emphasizing them. "Then that would make me her sister-in-law, considering how close Hajime-chin and I are, nya."

"Tch." Yasaka frowned, "He'd be the perfect son if his tastes in women weren't so horrid." She paused and shook her head. "No, Jeanne is an exception."

"'Horrid', nya!?"

"Mou! Stop fighting! Okaa-sama! Kuroka-nee-sama!" Kunou cried out to the both of them, her eyes watering with unshed tears. She looked to the two of them, glaring as they took part in a way three way stare down. Finally, due to Kunou's timely intervention, the two women relaxed, letting out sighs. My daughter looked to me, just in time to catch my playful grin and a thumbs up. Kunou giggled and flashed me a million-watt grin.

"Kunou called to me first." Then Yasaka just had to crash the temporary truce, in a moment of an uncharacteristic, yet cute, jibe at Kuroka.

Kuroka bristled, opening her mouth to retort, but I cut in. "Enough, both of you." The Nekoshou drooped under my gaze ever so lightly, while Yasaka flushed in subtle embarrassment. "The train will be arriving soon and I'd rather not have to run to Kuoh because your bickering caused me to miss it." I said, my tone stern. I released a breath and looked to Kuroka. "You'll be staying with Hajime when we get back to Kuoh. All I ask is that you make sure he doesn't overwork himself and that you don't completely distract him."

She hummed lightly, then licked her lips, saluting me half-heartedly. "Hai, Lyall-shirei, nya~." Then Kuroka paused, a nostalgic smile on her face. "Maybe I'll run into Shirone, nya…"

I nodded at that, "Hopefully, everything goes over well and it happens on good terms."

"Ne ne, Kuroka-nee-sama…" Kunou reached up and tugged on Kuroka's kimono sleeve, causing the girl to crouch down in front of her. "Could I, maybe, possibly, meet Shirone-nee-sama…?" She poked her index fingers together, looking down shyly.

Kuroka grinned down at the girl. "Of course, nya!"

"…Would she like me?"

She gave Kunou a shocked look. "Who wouldn't love having the adorable Kunou-chin as an imouto, nya!?" She then quickly engulfed Kunou in a loving, sisterly embrace.

Looking to Yasaka, I couldn't help but smile fondly upon seeing the loving look in her eyes. Then she looked to me and I could see a sudden fire light in her gaze…

Oh, that look reminds of our honeymoon… The night Kunou was conceived…

I'm going to enjoy the next time I get back home, I just know it.

* * *

><p>Stepping onto the school grounds early Monday morning, far earlier than any other student, I let out a small yawn as I approached the entrance. Walking relatively quickly, I entered the school building and strode purposefully through the halls. Upon reaching the Teacher's office, I walked inside and saw that there were several other teachers already there, working on their own projects and last minute grading papers. I went to my own desk and placed my case on it, opening it and organizing all of the items on the desk.<p>

After a moment, I put the necessities into my bag and left the office, giving my greetings to the other teachers. As I left the office, I managed to run into Souna. "Ah, Shitori-san, how was your weekend?"

"It was productive, I managed to get much more work done during the short break." Souna said with a content nod.

Holding back an exasperated sigh, I gave her an accepting hum. "I see. That's good." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the info packet about the Ball Tournament and handed it to her. "Here. I finished reading what you have planned." She took it and began to read through the notes I wrote. "Though, you can have the honor of knowing that Kunou really liked the games you have planned." I smirked softly, remembering the hyperactive peeking from under my arm to see what I was reading.

"Oh?" Souna said with a faint smile. "She did? Are you considering bringing her to watch?"

I regarded her with an arched brow. "You? The Student Council President of Kuoh Academy wants to break the rules?" Grinning playfully, I crossed my arms and shook my head. "And here I thought that you were the ideal student…"

Souna frowned noticeably, looking up from the packet. Adjusting her glasses, she replied, "It's not that I'm breaking the rules, it's just that everyone has heard you speak of Kunou-san. We're all curious about meeting her."

"Hm, I'm not entirely sure, Shitori-san." I said with a fair hint of playfulness in my tone. Before Souna could respond, someone else walked into our conversation. The Vice President, Tsubaki Shinra, approached us, calling out to Souna.

"Kaichou, I've managed to finish the required acquisition order for the proper supplies. All we need is a teacher's signature." She spoke to Souna first, before she finally realized that I was standing next to her. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Ah. I'm sorry if I interrupted you, Sensei."

I shook my head at her. "It's fine, Shinra-san. I just returned Shitori-san the Ball Tournament information she gave me to look over. I just told her that Kunou really liked the games that were described."

Tsubaki hummed softly, "Kunou? You're daughter, Sensei? Do you think she'd want to stop by for that day and watch?" She too seemed to be interested in meeting my adorable baby girl.

"Oh, I know she'd want to, Shinra-san. It's just that I'd to talk with her mother." I gave a small smile and shrugged. Honestly, I was casually mentioning Kunou in order to subtly set up a small play date for her. However, it has to be in a safe environment where I know for a fact that she won't be in danger; she also has to be by side during nearly all of it. She'd have to have an inordinate amount of fun, while at the same time being around people I'd trust with everything. Granted, that only means three people, so I'll have to either be the one to stay with her, and work something out where Yasaka can leave Kyoto without affecting the layline.

What can I say? I'm the overprotective father type.

"You'll have to give me prior notice, Sensei." Souna said as she motioned for Tsubaki to follow us. She did and continued to speak, "I can have one of the members of the Student Council act as her escort, while you teach your classes."

I gave an unwilling groan, "I don't know, Shitori-san. I'd prefer it if I were the one who showed her around." Sliding a hand into my pocket, I lifted my right arm to check my watch. "Anyway, what are your plans for this week?"

"Currently, it's just to prepare everything for the Ball Tournament. So far, everything has been going rather well. All we need is a teacher's signature and everything will be completed." Souna explained as we walked towards the Student Council Room.

I nodded to that, "Hm. I wish I was as studious as you are when I was going through school. It would have made my academic life much more bearable." Granted, I lived through several wars, some that encompassed the entire world, some civil wars and other random skirmishes. Compared to fighting with my life, and much more, on the line, writing papers and studying for exams was a walk in the park.

Tsubaki gave me a surprised glance. "Really, Wolfe-sensei? You've always been so diligent in your work."

I replied with a faint smile. "Believe it or not, I was the lazy type of student, coasting on the bare minimum to pass."

"What caused the change?" Souna asked.

"I started a family." Great, now I sound like the love-struck new teacher. Oh well, it's partially true and it will help me look sympathetic towards the Sitri Heiress. Huh, it'll at least strengthen my cover, adding that hint of truth.

Souna paused and nodded once, "Responsibility often does cause one to change. My Onee-sama is the same, though she changed in a different way."

I gave her a restrained, yet surprised, look. "You have an older sister?"

She pursed her lips and nodded lightly, "Yes, I do. I care for her deeply, but she's…rather eccentric."

I laughed lightly and politely. "I myself have a few friends from my youth that I can say the same about. It's all a matter of how you deal with them. If you want any advice, feel free to ask." I said with a hint of playfulness.

"Thank you, Sensei, but I've found my own way to deal with her eccentricities." Souna replied with her own faint smile.

"Souna. Sensei." We turned our heads to see Rias and Akeno approaching us from the side. "How has the Ball Tournament been progressing?"

I decided to answer for the two of us. "I just recently finished reviewing the plans for the tournament. While I did have some help, I gave my answer and a few comments from a trusted source."

"Oh? Who was this trusted source?" Rias asked with a faint smile.

"Hint. Her picture is on my desk and she stands under five feet tall."

Rias's eyes widened as she let out a small giggle. "Your daughter helped you with the report?"

"If you call peeking from under my arm as I read 'helping', then yeah."

"Oh, that is _sooo_ cute!" Rias cooed as she felt into step with Souna, Tsubaki and I, Akeno trailing behind her. "What did she say?"

I let out an exasperated sigh, palming my face. "She was hopping around like she ate five pounds of sugar, saying something about watching 'super fun teenagers play really awesome sports'."

"'Super fun teenagers'?" Akeno said behind a hand, laughing to herself. "Your little daughter sounds so adorable, Wolfe-sensei. I'd love for a chance to meet her."

"Speaking of that, I mentioned that I could organize something for her to drop by and watch the games progress."

"Oh! That's something that could happen!" Rias said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "I could get someone from the Occult Research Club to escort her around."

I gave her a dry look. "Like I told Shitori-san, Gremory-san, if anyone is going to escort Kunou around Kuoh Academy, it's going to be me."

Rias's eyes widened when she heard my statement, then she grinned widely. "Aw! Sensei, you're _that_ type of parent!" She giggled into her hand. "So protective, aren't you?"

Rolling my eyes, I gave her a dry look. "Enough about my family life." I said in a faint deadpan. "How about we talk about your clubs, then? The Occult Research Club and the Student Council. It's been a rather long time since any of you have had any new members…"

Frowning at my abrupt change in subject, Rias crossed her arms. "I've been scouting a potential new member for my club, but it's been slow going."

So, Rias Gremory is looking to add a new member to her little Devil posse. I have a general idea who it could be, but I hope it won't cause any undue danger. "I see; can you tell me who it is? I'm sure I could check a few things over for you."

Rias gave me a sly smirk. "No go, Sensei. That remains a secret."

I hummed lightly, narrowing my eyes inquisitively at her. I'll definitely have to keep my senses sharp to try and find the person she's scouting; just so I can get a general idea about what they can do. "I see." Then I shrugged, "Oh, well, everyone has their own secrets." Then I turned my attention to Souna. "You?"

"There was one person I've been keeping an eye on." Souna regarded me intently, "I was wondering what your opinion was on Genshirou Saji."

We reached the Student Council Room. "Genshirou Saji as a possible new addition to the Student Council?" I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "He does relatively well in my class, and others, so I see no problem with giving him extra responsibility." We entered the room and Souna replied.

"I see. I'll approach him within the week."

With that, we caught sight of the rest of the Council, Hajime and Jeanne. Greetings were exchanged as I focused on my two students, studying how they interacted with others during their first undercover assignment. Jeanne was her normal excited self, ironically giving her the perfect ability to remain unnoticed. No one expected her to be a skilled stealth operative, thanks to her attitude and made it easy for her to remain relatively unnoticed, under the guise of the being ditzy and childlike.

Hajime, on the other hand, was playing with everything close to chest. He wasn't a good liar, but proved to be rather skilled with half-truths. In addition to that, his natural charisma allowed him to work the spoken word. Unfortunately, that would force him to stand out as an individual, causing his skills as an infiltrator to be tested the most. Hajime doesn't have my natural ability to go unnoticed, so I had to help nurture his skill with diplomacy, to make up for the lack of natural talent.

After signing the appropriate documents for the Ball Tournament, I motioned for the Jeanne to follow after giving the appropriate farewells.

As we walked through the halls, I widened my senses to see if there were anyone within earshot. Clearing my throat, I murmured softly, enough so that I wouldn't be heard if someone had supernatural hearing or happened to walk by. "How goes Hajime's mission?"

"We've located the Fallen Angel's base on the outskirts of town." Jeanne replied in kind.

"Good. Have you made contact?"

"Yes. Haji-kun made sure to keep his face hidden, but made contact regardless."

"I see. Has he given orders to the other Aegis operative within Kuoh Academy?"

"He's informed them to meet him to give out appropriate orders."

I nodded at that and we reached the door to the classroom. "Wait here for a moment, I'll call you in after I make the appropriate decisions." She nodded and stood off to the side, grinning in anticipation. I walked into the classroom and was greeted by the class. Starting the various introductions, I made a few announcements pertaining to the homework and future assignments. Finally, I ended with calling in Jeanne.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce you to your newest classmate. Jeanne, you can come in now!" I called out to her and watched as the door was pushed open, the girl stepped inside.

She skipped playfully and waved at everyone with a wide grin. "Hi, everyone! I'm Jeanne Wolfe and I hope we all become really good friends!" Giving them a disarming grin, she lifted a hand and gave everyone a 'V' sign with a hand. There were a collection of whispers as everyone in the class connected our cover names, proclaimed how attractive she was and some mused what her measurements were. Jeanne gave them a regretful smile, "Ano, sorry to disappoint, but I already have a boyfriend." She clapped her hands together.

Before anything else could be said, I cleared my throat to catch everyone's attention. "Okay, okay! Enough! Pester her with question during lunch break. For now, Jeanne, take the seat next to Kiryuu." Said girl lifted her hand and Jeanne skipped playfully over to her. "Okay, everyone, pull out your books and turn to page…"


End file.
